The government may opt to adopt a new model for providing security for cabinet ministers, a less costly model that will save a hefty sum of government funds, Yediot Achronot reports.
At present, every member of the cabinet is provided with round-the-clock bodyguards, at official and private events because they represent the government. Now, officials may cut back and while the agents will remain at the homes of ministers, protecting them and their families, they will not be accompanied by bodyguards all the time, only during official government travels in and out of Israel. This will apply to those ministers who the experts feel are not at ‘high risk’. Those ministers dealing with classified security and defense issues will remain under the 24-hour security program.
A special committee will address the needs of each cabinet minister. The committee will also be reviewing protocol of former ministers and state officials, such as past prime ministers and presidents. Simultaneously, the ISA (Israel Security Agency – Shin Bet) and Counterterrorism Bureau have been taking steps towards increasing agency efficiency towards cutting spending. Protecting cabinet minister currently carries a 120 million NIS annual price tag.
This is actually lower than most believe it should be because many of the agents protecting government ministers are not Shin Bet employees but hired from an outside contractor. Things may change as these security agents are in the midst of a battle for increased benefits, seeking a package that is more in line with Shin Bet employees.
Alternatively, the committee is also weighing the elimination of the manpower agency and bringing all the security agents in as government employees. Yediot reports that the current number of agents, 160, will mostly be reduced to 50-70 as a result of streamlining.
Shin Bet and other security officials will also be involved in hearings towards establishing new guidelines as to which cabinet ministers require full time protection and which may only receive partial protection.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
It costs tens of millions of dollars annually to protect a single cabinet minister?
That’s at least $100,000 per day!
These guys must be better-paid than the biggest Wall Street moguls.