Israeli Transport Ministry Official Accused of Training Airlines on Evading Security Checks

Dvir Rubinstein, who heads the Israeli Ministry of Transport's Aviation Security Operations Center and is responsible for foreign flights entering Israel, allegedly conducted paid training sessions for foreign airlines, including FlyDubai and Emirates, through his private company. Kan reported that these training sessions offered airlines ways to obtain exemptions from standard security checks, which typically involve using the services of a company called Premier for baggage and passenger list screening, at a cost of around $5,000 per flight.

According to Kan, after undergoing Rubinstein's training, airlines could potentially conduct some of these checks themselves, bypassing the need for Premier's services. One executive from a business jet operator told Kan that Rubinstein could be hired in the U.S. through his private firm, Smart Security, for approximately $5,500 in travel expenses plus a $15,000 training fee. Smart Security, registered in Israel in October 2024, provides consulting and training in aviation security.

Rubinstein's dual role, as a government official overseeing security requirements for foreign airlines and simultaneously profiting from training them on how to circumvent some of those requirements, has raised concerns. This report emerges amid an ongoing investigation into an attempted terror attack on FlyDubai flight FZ1073 on September 30, 2026. Following the incident, where a co-pilot was involved, security officials reportedly told Kan that the Ministry of Transport's aviation security center bore responsibility for allowing the Omani pilot to fly to Israel.

This is not the first time potential conflicts of interest have been reported within the Ministry of Transport's aviation security structures. Haaretz previously reported on Avri Cohen, head of the security department, who allegedly worked for another state entity without the necessary authorization.