Paid training and thousands of dollars in exemptions: The conflict of interest of the person responsible for flight security to Israel

An investigation by Kan News reveals a serious suspected conflict of interest: Dvir Rubinshtein, head of the Aviation Security Operations Center (MAMAL) at the Ministry of Transport, acted as a regulator for foreign flight security to Israel while simultaneously providing paid training to foreign airlines through his private company, Smart Security. The training allowed airlines to receive exemptions from the services of Premier, which costs about $5,000 per flight, while paying Rubinshtein thousands of dollars.

An investigation by Kan News, published on Monday evening, reveals a serious suspected conflict of interest involving Dvir Rubinshtein, head of the Aviation Security Operations Center (MAMAL) at the Ministry of Transport. Rubinshtein, who is supposed to oversee as a regulator the security of foreign flights to Israel, simultaneously acted as a consultant and paid trainer for foreign airlines through his private company, Smart Security, registered in October 2024. The investigation describes how Rubinshtein conducted paid training in the United States for airlines, through which the companies received exemptions from the need to hire the services of Premier, which costs an average of about $5,000 per flight. A manager at one of the companies said he was required to pay Rubinshtein $5,500 for airfare to the United States and a training cost of $15,000. Among the companies that received the training are Flydubai and Emirates. The investigation raises suspicion that Rubinshtein exploited his regulatory position to generate private income while bypassing MAMAL's own directives.