Court ruling8/23/2026

Central Elections Committee: The Shin Bet Chief, Not the Committee Chairman, Decides the Issue of Eisenkot’s Security

The chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, announced that he is not authorized to decide whether politicians should receive security protection. According to the committee, the Shin Bet chief said there was no intelligence or warnings of an intention to harm Gadi Eisenkot.

Key facts

•Chairman of the Central Elections Committee: Justice Noam Sohlberg
•The politician: Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the “Yashar!” party
•Shin Bet chief: David Zini
•The staff’s previous appeal: July 20
•Legal basis: Section 7(a)(2) of the General Security Service Law

Why the Dispute Arose

Sohlberg received appeals from associates of Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the “Yashar!” party, regarding his safety. Eisenkot’s chief of staff, Ron Barkai, argued that the public atmosphere is becoming increasingly heated and that the physical threat to the politician is growing. According to Barkai, the party currently provides Eisenkot with private, unarmed security.

The Shin Bet’s Position

The Shin Bet chief informed Sohlberg that the service had no intelligence or warnings of an intention to harm Eisenkot. He also found no grounds to convene the Ministerial Committee on Shin Bet Affairs on the matter. Sohlberg asked to be updated if relevant warnings emerged.

Who Is Authorized to Make the Decision

The Central Elections Committee stressed that Sohlberg had not made a decision on the merits and was not the competent authority. Under Section 7(a)(2) of the General Security Service Law, the Shin Bet protects individuals designated by the government. The professional assessment of whether threats exist falls within the authority of the head of the service.

Appeal by Eisenkot’s Staff

Barkai sent a letter to Shin Bet chief David Zini and the head of the service’s VIP Protection Unit, following an earlier appeal dated July 20. He claimed that the service had not provided a substantive response to the request to provide the former IDF chief of staff with personal security, and that the current level of private security did not correspond to the estimated threat level. The source does not report any further decision following this letter.

What this means for you

An appeal to the Central Elections Committee does not in itself result in state-provided security being assigned to a candidate or party leader. The decision depends on the division of powers established by law, a government determination, and the Shin Bet’s professional assessment; if new warnings emerge, the assessment may be reconsidered.

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