It appears the era of each cabinet minister enjoying full-time personal protection is about to end. The Ministerial Committee for ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) Affairs is scheduled to convene on March 3, 2013, at which time it is expected to decide to amend the law that demands protection for each minister, a very costly proposition. Full-time bodyguards will only be assigned to state leaders classified as ‘state symbols’, including the president, prime minister, president of the Supreme Court, and a number of senior ministers.

This change is policy is based on a recommendation filed by the National Security Council on February 11, 2013.

Following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin policy changes regarding protection for cabinet ministers were implemented. This included full-time protection for all ministers, a very costly policy that was viewed as essential at the time. Minister Limor Livnat, Dan Meridor and Mickey Eitan for the past three years have called for removing the bodyguards assigned to them, explaining they do not feel the need for such costly measures. However, their requests were unheeded and the protection continues to this very day.

The decision will have ramifications, cost-savings for the government as well as the dismissal of 400 bodyguards, most hired by the Moked Company acting as an outside contractor for the ISA. Few of the bodyguards employed today are actually employed by the ISA, but most are manpower employees with limited social benefits.

Most officials feel that if the National Security Council maintains its position regarding the protection for non-high profile ministers, the new protocol will be adopted and hundreds of bodyguards will be dismissed in a major cost-cutting measure.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)