Shin Bet said to ratchet up security measures for Netanyahu to ‘unprecedented levels’
Agency reportedly begins using advanced screening machine and sophisticated surveillance cameras, alongside questioning and pat-downs of guests, at events attended by PM
The Shin Bet has reportedly intensified its security measures surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “unprecedented levels.”
The new measures by the security agency include the use of an advanced screening machine and sophisticated surveillance cameras, alongside manual searches involving physical pat-downs, the Ynet news site reported Friday without citing any sources.
As part of the enhanced security, new devices for inspecting footwear have also been activated, the report added.
The screening machine being used is reminiscent of the ones at airports in the United States, where those scanned are asked to raise their hands above their heads while inside, Ynet said.
The machines were used for the first time to screen guests at two events attended by Netanyahu this week: the state memorial ceremonies for terror victims at Mount Herzl during Israel’s Memorial Day and the Bible Quiz competition at the Jerusalem Theater. At the former ceremony, Netanyahu was also spotted wearing a bulletproof vest, according to Ynet.
Attendees at the events also had to go through questioning by masked Shin Bet agents who asked who invited them, along with their relationship to the host.
The extensive screenings, which also included requests for attendees to briefly remove their yarmulkes and shoes, led to the Bible Quiz starting before most of the guests had gotten to their seats.
The Shin Bet did not deny the intensified security measures but declined to comment on them.
In an affidavit Netanyahu submitted to the High Court of Justice earlier this month, Netanyahu maintained that there have likely been assassination attempts against him — externally, by Hezbollah, which fired a drone in October at the PM’s residence in Caesarea; and internally, by radical activists who stalk him and his family.
That, Netanyahu claimed, is why he tied his testimony in his criminal court case to the threats on his life, and was merely seeking a “safe location” in which to give evidence. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, for his part, wrote under oath that Netanyahu sought to have him sign off on a legal opinion stating that the prime minister would not be able to testify continuously in his trial. Ultimately, the trial was moved from the Jerusalem District Court to an underground, fortified hall in the Tel Aviv District Court.
The affidavits were part of a legal battle over the Netanyahu government’s decision to fire Bar, which was withdrawn earlier this week after the Shin Bet chief agreed to resign in June.
The Times of Israel Community.