Israel’s ministerial committee for Shin Bet affairs has approved a decision granting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lifelong personal security, extending protection for his wife Sara until his death, and providing their two sons with state-funded security for five years after he leaves office. The ruling, which takes effect irrespective of the outcome of the October Knesset election, was taken against the formal advice of professional security officials within the agency, according to Israeli media reports.

The committee, which Mr Netanyahu chairs, acted on a recommendation from Shin Bet chief David Zini, a former military secretary to the prime minister. Israeli security sources told Channel 13 that the agency’s professional threat assessment had been altered after what was described as heavy pressure from the Netanyahu family. Former Shin Bet coordinator Yaron Blum, in a radio interview, called the decision “approaching delirium”, arguing that while current threats from Iran and its allies justify protection, fixing it for decades without periodic review is illogical. He noted that the committee’s rulings are not subject to appeal. The prime minister’s office had previously denied any such plan was under discussion, before the formal approval was made public.

The decision locks in a security envelope for the family regardless of future threat levels, a departure from existing protocols that tie protection to assessed risk. Under previous rules, Mr Netanyahu, 76, would have been entitled to security until at least age 96, with extensions possible based on threat evaluations. The new arrangement removes that discretion. Opposition figures have seized on the move: a senior member of the Together party, led by former prime minister Naftali Bennett, told Haaretz that a future government would reverse the decision unless convinced of an immediate threat. The committee said the ruling applies only to the Netanyahu family, and that relatives of other former prime ministers would be examined on a case-by-case basis.

The decision comes amid heightened regional tensions. Shin Bet and Mossad assessments, cited by Israeli media, hold that the Netanyahu family faces a “lifetime threat level” because of desires for revenge from adversaries following Israel’s recent military campaigns. Yet the internal dissent and political backlash underscore a broader debate over the allocation of state resources and the independence of security agencies. The dossier is now closed at the committee level, but the opposition’s pledge to revisit it means the arrangement could become an electoral issue. The next Knesset election is scheduled for late October.