Security around Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has reportedly been tightened to extraordinary levels by the Shin Bet, with the agency implementing what has been described as the most comprehensive protective measures to date.
According to a Friday report by Ynet, the stepped-up precautions now include the deployment of a high-tech body screening machine and advanced surveillance systems. These upgrades accompany thorough manual checks, including physical searches. The report did not cite specific sources.
In addition, new equipment designed specifically to inspect footwear has been brought into use as part of this expanded security protocol.
Ynet noted that the scanning device now in operation closely resembles those found at American airports, where individuals must stand still and lift their arms overhead inside the machine.
These enhanced measures were used earlier this week at two events attended by Netanyahu: the official Memorial Day service for terror victims at Mount Herzl and the national Bible Quiz held at the Yerushalayim Theater. At the Mount Herzl ceremony, Netanyahu was reportedly seen wearing a bulletproof vest.
Guests attending both events were also subjected to direct questioning by masked Shin Bet officers, who inquired about who had invited them and what their connection was to the host.
The tight screening process included requests for participants to remove their shoes and even briefly take off their yarmulkes. As a result, the Bible Quiz began before many of the invited attendees had reached their seats.
The Shin Bet neither confirmed nor denied the increased level of protection, offering no official comment on the matter.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu submitted a sworn statement to the High Court of Justice in which he claimed that there had likely been attempts on his life — both from abroad, such as the Hezbollah drone incident in October that targeted his home in Caesarea, and from within Israel, by extremists who he said had been stalking him and his family.
Netanyahu explained that due to these threats, he had asked to testify in his criminal case from a more secure location, emphasizing that his request stemmed from genuine safety concerns. In a separate affidavit, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar stated under oath that Netanyahu had pressed him to endorse a legal opinion declaring that the prime minister could not provide uninterrupted testimony in his trial. The proceedings were ultimately relocated from the Yerushalayim District Court to a protected underground courtroom in the Tel Aviv District Court.
These affidavits were filed amid a legal confrontation over the government’s move to dismiss Bar. The dispute ended earlier this week after Bar agreed to step down in June.

{Matzav.com}