Israeli Aviation Security Chief Took Flydubai Payments; Trump Insists Iran Behind Attack

A senior Israeli Transportation Ministry official who manages the aviation security operations center received payment from Flydubai while also providing consulting services to foreign airlines, according to a new report. The official, Dvir Rubenstein, is not a civil servant but works via outsourcing. Rubenstein simultaneously runs a private company offering training to airlines including Flydubai and Emirates, while his ministry role involves approving security permits for foreign carriers entering Israel. The Transportation Ministry said his additional work was legally approved and done outside ministry hours, but did not address potential conflicts of interest. The report also revealed that despite years of warnings about security gaps in foreign airline oversight, Transportation Minister Miri Regev held no dedicated discussions on the issue between 2023 and 2025. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump reiterated his belief that Iran was behind the attempted attack, though Israeli assessments suggest the Omani pilot acted alone.