A few days ago, Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman took the trouble to pay a visit to Ehud Barak, a former prime minister and defense minister, in Barak's designer apartment in a luxury Tel Aviv high-rise. Argaman's mission was to update Barak regarding serious security warnings that terror agents, under Iranian guidance (or at least inspiration), will try to harm him during one of his foreign travels.
This unusual tete-a-tete was revealed by the Israel Television News Company on July 3 and reawakened the sensitive issue regarding the protection of Israeli public personages when abroad and in general. According to Israel's current policy, former prime ministers and security ministers are entitled to close-quarters protection (personal bodyguards) for the first five years after leaving their governmental posts, and for protection abroad during the first seven years.
