Election czar seeks clarification on party leaders’ requests for security protection

Central Elections Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg on Thursday asked National Security Council head Shmuel Ben Ezra to clarify which authority was responsible for determining which political party leaders require security protection, after requests from both Yashar chair Gadi Eisenkot and Democrats chair Yair Golan for state security details.

Neither of the men is currently a sitting member of Knesset, meaning they are not eligible for the security benefits that come with being an elected official. However, both of them have reportedly requested state-funded security due to increased threats.

Sohlberg, in his letter to Ben Ezra, wrote that his office has “received inquiries concerning the security protection of party leaders who are not members of the Knesset, regarding whom it has been claimed that the police determined that they are under threat.”

“Without expressing a position on the substance of the matter, in light of the accumulation of requests, I believe it would be appropriate for the advisory committee on the protection of public figures, as well as the relevant ministerial committee, to discuss the issue,” he added.

Sohlberg asked authorities to clarify “which body is authorized to determine whether a particular individual is under threat” and “which body is responsible for the security assignment and what the criteria are for their protection during the election period.”

Both Eisenkot and Golan have faced increasing threats in recent weeks.

The Yashar leader’s son, Master Sgt. (res.) Gal Eisenkot, was killed in Gaza in December 2023. Earlier this month, the family visited his grave and discovered that someone had graffitied on the headstone: “Gal the fighter, it’s a shame your father doesn’t protect the soldiers.”

And according to the Walla news site, Golan’s party requested that the left-wing leader receive security protection due to an influx of social media posts wishing him grievous bodily harm or death.

One such post cited by Walla called for Golan to take “a bullet to the head,” while another called to “gouge out” his eyes, and claimed that he and his family deserved to be hanged because he “caused a second Holocaust to the Jewish people.”

Earlier in the week, Sohlberg denied reports that he had rejected a request to provide security for Eisenkot, stressing that he did not have the authority to decide on the matter, according to the Haaretz daily.

The question of who is responsible for protecting election candidates arose amid a dispute over security for Yashar chair Eisenkot, a former IDF chief who is leading in most opinion polls ahead of the October 27 election.

Sohlberg said Shin Bet director David Zini had informed him that there was no intelligence indicating an intention to harm Eisenkot and therefore no reason to convene the ministerial committee overseeing Shin Bet affairs to consider providing him with protection.

The Shin Bet subsequently confirmed that Zini himself had decided not to provide Eisenkot with a security detail, saying he was “solely responsible” for the decision.

Eisenkot’s party said it had sought state protection because threats against him were increasing as he emerged as a leading contender for prime minister.

According to the Ynet news site, Eisenkot’s campaign warned Zini that tensions and incitement were rising — both on the street and online — ahead of the election, and that the physical threat to the candidate “is increasing every day.”

To address the threat, Eisenkot’s campaign initially hired private bodyguards but said they were inadequate while unarmed, particularly as Eisenkot regularly attends public events whose locations and schedules were announced in advance.

After several days, the Shin Bet offered a partial compromise, reportedly telling Eisenkot that while it would not fund a security detail for him, his private guards would be permitted to carry weapons.

According to Channel 12, his campaign team was also granted access to relevant Shin Bet intelligence and a direct line of communication with the agency’s headquarters.

The dispute over Eisenkot’s protection comes as he emerged as Netanyahu’s strongest electoral challenger. A Zman Yisrael poll released Thursday put Yashar first with 26 seats, ahead of Likud on 22. Yashar has led most polls in recent weeks, though Likud frequently trails by only a small margin. Yashar and other Zionist anti-Netanyahu parties are generally polling at around 58 seats in total, two or three seats short of a majority in the 120-member Knesset, with the pro-Netanyahu bloc five or six seats further back, and Arab parties holding the balance.