Transportation Ministry Admits Security Chief Lacked Permit for Outside Work

Israel's Ministry of Transportation has confirmed that Avri Cohen, the senior director of its Security, Cyber, and Emergency Affairs department, worked a second job without the required permit. This new statement contradicts the ministry's earlier response to a report by Haaretz, which had claimed Cohen had received permission for outside employment before assuming his current role.

The ministry now states that the authority to grant such permits rests with the Civil Service Commission, and the ministry's management did not submit a request on Cohen's behalf, therefore no permit was issued. The ministry emphasized that it is acting according to the Commission's directives and that the responsibility to request and obtain a permit before taking on additional work lies with the employee.

Upon learning of Cohen's secondary employment, ministry management immediately informed him that he must cease all outside work until a permit was obtained. This clarification follows reports that the Civil Service Commission does not recognize any permit issued to Cohen for private work and did not grant him one. The ministry's internal review confirmed that the Commission holds the sole authority for issuing such permits.

Cohen's outside work came to light amid reports of other secondary jobs held by senior officials in the Transportation Ministry's security department, which is responsible for the security screening of foreign flights to Israel. This issue gained prominence following an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai plane en route to Israel last week, which was thwarted by passengers.

According to a Haaretz report, Cohen served as a cadet security officer concurrently with his ministry role, acting as a security representative for Israeli companies at foreign airports for separate payment. This work was performed alongside his duties overseeing the security of foreign flights, a task for which the department reportedly lacks sufficient personnel. A former senior official at the Civil Service Commission noted that working without a permit is not uncommon among state employees, including senior officials.