Israeli Transport Ministry Official Holds Second Job Amid Security Concerns

The head of the Israeli Ministry of Transport's security department, responsible for vetting foreign airline crews, is also working concurrently in another position, according to a report by the newspaper Haaretz. Avri Cohen holds the title of "reserve security service employee" for Ofek, a state body that ensures aviation security for Israeli airlines' foreign flights. Haaretz reported that Cohen claims he received permission for this dual role from the Ministry of Transport's director-general in 2018. Reserve employees for Ofek are called upon to fill in during staff shortages, traveling to foreign airports for several days and receiving payment for that time.

Haaretz noted that while the Ministry of Transport's security and emergency management department's website states it assesses the security of foreign flights arriving in Israel, two security sources told the newspaper that the ministry lacks sufficient personnel for this task and handles foreign flights "only on paper." Until 2021, the Shin Bet was responsible for foreign flight security, but the ministerial political-military committee then transferred these duties to the transport ministry.

Last year, the National Security Council reportedly criticized the Ministry of Transport for inadequate vetting of foreign companies. The report also stated that the ministry's security department had never requested assistance from the Shin Bet or Mossad for security assessments or vetting of flight crews and passengers. On Saturday, October 3, Minister of Transport Miri Regev stated in an interview that intelligence agencies, not the transport ministry, should be responsible for vetting flight crews, saying, "Those who should conduct the vetting are the intelligence bodies, and we are not an intelligence body."