Central Elections Committee chairman and Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice Noam Sohlberg’s personal security was reportedly increased on Monday ahead of the elections.
Reports did not provide additional details about the situation, though the Central Elections Committee stated that Sohlberg was being provided with security “in accordance with security needs and the directives of the Israel Police.”
“Naturally, we cannot provide further details regarding the security arrangements,” the statement added.
Police did not immediately respond to The Jerusalem Post’s request for comment on the matter.
Sohlberg security update came after Eisenkot security increase
The reported change in Sohlberg’s security came the day after the Advisory Committee for Personal Security decided to recommend Yashar Party leader Gadi Eisenkot, a prime ministerial candidate, with increased security provided by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
Eisenkot is a leading rival candidate to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the October elections.
The committee’s recommendation came after the Shin Bet decided not to provide Eisenkot with its security last week, despite Yashar warning that threats against Eisenkot were escalating and calling for the decision to be reversed.
Meanwhile, the Advisory Committee for Personal Security decided not to recommend Shin Bet protection for Democrats Party Chairman Yair Golan.
The left-wing party said that the decision was made over political considerations.
“The decision to provide security to Gadi Eisenkot while, at the same time, abandoning the security of Democrats Party chairman Yair Golan exposes the truth: the considerations are political,” it said.
The party added that two of the three members of the Advisory Committee for the Security of Public Figures were Netanyahu's political appointees.
“Now they are refusing to provide security to the person Netanyahu and his ‘poison machine’ have singled out as a central target of their campaign of incitement and delegitimization against the change bloc,” the party stated.
“The refusal to provide security to Golan is a political decision that serves the campaign of incitement and allows it to continue.
“Responsibility for Yair Golan’s safety and life rests with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shin Bet Director David Zini. If they fail to separate politics from their duty to protect human life, we will demand that the High Court of Justice compel them to do so,” the party added.
Zini previously decided against assigning security to Eisenkot
Last week, Zini clarified that he alone decided against assigning security detail to Eisenkot.
Netanyahu had instructed Zini to ensure that Eisenkot receives security protection “at an appropriate level, according to need.”
In response, he was told that the Shin Bet was doing everything possible and was operating in accordance with the rules and the law.
The Central Election Committee later confirmed that Zini had informed Sohlberg that the Shin Bet “does not possess intelligence indicating any intention” to target or harm Eisenkot.
Sohlberg also requested that the Shin Bet chief inform the committee should such intentions be identified later during the election season, further stressing that he does not hold the authority to demand security detail be given to the Yashar leader.
Eisenkot’s staff had argued that the private security already assigned to him was insufficient and that “the physical threat against him is increasing every day.”
Avi Ashkenazi and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.