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.”
