Two Israeli Transport Ministry Officials Under Criminal Investigation Over Flydubai Security Lapse

Israeli police have launched a criminal investigation into two senior officials at the Ministry of Transport following a security lapse involving a Flydubai flight. The probe centers on allegations of conflict of interest and improper conduct related to aviation security oversight.

One of the officials, Dvir Rubinstein, an outsourced employee responsible for overseeing security arrangements on foreign flights to Israel, is suspected of simultaneously providing paid consultancy services to airlines, including Flydubai and Emirates. His company, "Smart Security," reportedly offered training sessions that, according to an investigation by Kan News, were intended to certify airlines to conduct their own security checks, the very checks Rubinstein was supposed to be supervising.

The second official under investigation is Avri Cohen, the head of the security department at the Ministry of Transport. Cohen is reportedly also employed abroad as a security officer within the "Ofek" system without the approval of the Civil Service Commission.

The investigation was prompted by serious questions arising from an attempted security incident on a Flydubai flight to Israel. The incident involved an Omani pilot, Maam Al-Hami, who managed to serve as a co-pilot on the flight to Israel. Senior security officials have reportedly blamed the Ministry of Transport's security department for enabling Al-Hami's arrival in Israel as part of the flight crew, stating that the department failed to fulfill its responsibilities.

"Full responsibility rests with the Aviation Security Operations Center. They were supposed to fulfill their responsibility. Anyone with common sense understands that an Omani pilot should not be arriving here," senior officials told Kan News.