Shin Bet director David Zinni has publicly stated that he personally made the decision not to provide state security protection to Gadi Eisenkot, the former IDF chief of staff who now leads the Yashar party and is running for prime minister. Zinni emphasized that he bears sole responsibility for the determination, which came after consulting with professional security officials. According to the Shin Bet statement, the agency is working in full coordination with the Central Elections Committee.
The rationale behind the decision centers on electoral fairness. Providing Eisenkot with a Shin Bet security detail could have given him an unfair advantage at the polls by conferring upon him the image of a sitting prime minister, despite the fact that he is merely a candidate who has never held the office.
The decision sparked controversy in Israel's political arena, with accusations that the security service initially tried to shift responsibility to the Elections Committee. Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid sharply criticized the move, saying: "This is a scandal. Yair Netanyahu gets full security in Miami, but Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff, doesn't get security. Obviously he should be protected. If something happens to Eisenkot, it will be on their heads."
Earlier, Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Solberg clarified that he has no discretion in the matter and is not the authorized body to make such decisions. The Elections Committee reported that Zinni informed Solberg there were no intelligence warnings of threats against Eisenkot, and that he does not fall within the category of seven state symbols entitled to protection—in contrast to the recent approval of lifetime security for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his family members.
The controversy began when Eisenkot's campaign argued that the former chief of staff faces threats due to his previous military role, and particularly because he is a viable prime ministerial candidate expected to win a significant number of parliamentary seats.
In practice, Eisenkot already receives protection from a private security company, but the demand was for state-provided security.
The concern was that granting Shin Bet protection to someone who has never held state office and faces no actual threats would be interpreted by voters as conferring official state status on Eisenkot, creating a prime ministerial image.
Following the Shin Bet director's review of the request and his determination that Eisenkot does not face threats requiring close Shin Bet protection, the decision was made not to grant him the privilege that few are entitled to receive.
