Full coverage· Politics· Updated
Transportation Ministry Reverses Stance on Official's Second Job
Avri Cohen, the head of the Security, Cyber, and Emergency Affairs department at the Ministry of Transport, worked a second paid job for eight years without the required authorization from the Civil Service Commission. Cohen had been serving since 2018 as a security coordinator for cadets, traveling abroad to foreign airports as a security representative for Israeli airlines. This role was within the Ofek aviation security system, a state-run program operating under the Shin Bet.
7 newsrooms · 2 languages · since
What happened
- 01Ministry of Transport security chief Avri Cohen worked a second paid job for eight years without the required Civil Service Commission permit.
- 02Cohen served as a security coordinator for cadets abroad for Israeli airlines within the Ofek aviation security system under the Shin Bet.
- 03The Ministry of Transport initially claimed Cohen had approval from 2018 but later admitted the Civil Service Commission never authorized the work.
- 04The Civil Service Commission stated it was entirely unaware of Cohen's secondary employment and had never granted him a permit.
- 05The Ministry of Transport learned of the issue several months ago through an anonymous complaint and ordered Cohen to stop the outside work.
- 06No disciplinary action or proceedings have been initiated against Cohen despite the lack of authorization.
- 07According to Haaretz, Cohen was advised to formally apply for a permit through the Civil Service Commission but has not yet done so.
The Ministry of Transport initially defended Cohen, claiming he had received approval from the ministry's management in 2018. However, the Civil Service Commission clarified that it holds the sole authority to issue such permits, was never aware of Cohen's private work, and never approved it. Following this, the ministry reversed its stance, admitting that Cohen lacked the necessary permit and stating that the responsibility to obtain one lay with the employee.
The ministry became aware of the situation several months ago through an anonymous complaint. While Cohen was instructed to immediately cease all outside work until a permit was obtained, no disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against him. According to Haaretz, Cohen was advised to formally apply for a permit through the Civil Service Commission but has not yet done so.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 7 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: Globes. Read Globes’s original
The coverage
7 newsrooms on this story
Who covered it
- Left1
- Centre2
- RightNone
- HarediNone
- ArabNone
- Other4
How it broke
How the headlines differ
Transportation Ministry Reverses Stance on Official's Second Job