The Zioneer reports, in a first publication, that a senior official at Israel's Transport Ministry allegedly advised foreign airlines, including FlyDubai, that he is their supervisor. The report points to a possible conflict of interest within aviation security oversight, with further details pending.
A new report published Monday morning by N12 claims that a senior official at the Transport Ministry advised foreign airlines, including FlyDubai, that he is their regulatory supervisor, adding a further conflict-of-interest allegation to the series of aviation security concerns at the ministry.
The report follows multiple allegations that surfaced over the weekend. On Sunday evening, Ynet reported that Avri Cohen, head of the ministry's security department, had been working a second job as a security contractor for Israeli airlines while overseeing foreign flight screening—a role the ministry said was approved upon his hiring in 2018. N12 later reported that Dvir Rubinstein, director of the aviation security operations center, was not a civil servant and held additional jobs. The Zioneer then reported at 20:39 Jerusalem on Sunday that an official responsible for overseeing foreign airlines allegedly received money from Emirati sources, and at 00:05 Jerusalem Monday that aviation security director Omri Maniv allegedly received money from FlyDubai.
These allegations come against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of foreign aviation security following the recent FlyDubai incident. As The Zioneer reported on Sunday evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the appointment of an examiner for a comprehensive review of foreign civil aviation security. Ynet also reported on Sunday that repeated warnings about gaps in screening foreign flight crews had gone unaddressed for years.
It remains unclear whether the senior official named in the latest N12 report is the same as any of those previously identified. The allegations have not been independently verified, and the Transport Ministry has not yet responded to this latest claim.
5 developments
- StrongMKs demand closed committee session with ministers, Shin Bet chief over foreign flight security
- DevelopingBen-Gvir: Israel Should Seek Extradition of Flydubai Co-Pilot
- StrongLiberman, Golan launch sharp attack on government, Shin Bet chief over Flydubai incident
- DevelopingTransport Ministry director-general makes covert inspection of public transport over driver complaints
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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