Shin Bet Denies Security for Opposition Leader Eisenkot

Shin Bet director David Zini has determined that Israel's internal security service will not provide protection for Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief of staff who now leads the opposition Yashar party. The decision was reported Saturday evening by Channel 12 News and has sparked controversy over whether political considerations played a role.

Eisenkot's campaign responded with a strongly worded letter sent to relevant officials, including the Attorney General. The letter alleges that "the Government of Israel, the Ministerial Committee on Shin Bet Affairs, and the Advisory Committee on Security Matters are failing in their personal responsibility for extraneous political reasons."

אייזנקוט (צילום: Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

The ruling comes amid escalating political tensions between the government and Eisenkot, who has emerged as one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's most prominent challengers. Recent polling shows the Yashar party leading with 26 projected Knesset seats, creating a significant gap over Netanyahu's Likud party.

Eisenkot's team views the security decision as a problematic political maneuver. Their letter to officials sharply criticizes what they characterize as the government's failure to fulfill its duty to protect senior public figures, arguing the denial stems from political motivations rather than security assessments.