For Ben-Gurion Airport officials he was another man seeking a job, unaware journalist David Suleiman, a Channel 2 investigative reporter, was really setting out to evaluate security in what many perceive to be the safest airport in the world.

To begin with, Suleiman used the identification card of a good friend, Yaniv Tamir, presenting it when he arrived for an interview with the contractor responsible for the airport’s sanitation services. It is not like the two are similar, for Tamir has a brisk head of hair while Suleiman is far from it, not to mention the bald investigative reporter has different color eyes. Nevertheless, the ID card was unnoticed and later in the day he completed security forms using the same ID, not his own. His identity was now established.

The good news is he got the job and was employed as a member of the airport’s sanitation team, working for an outside contractor. This gave him access to sensitive area including getting close to planes. According to Suleiman, no one was more surprised than he was.

Suleiman felt he must now attempt to get into a plane and place a ‘bomb’ in cans of drinks, thereby emulating the Russian airliner last year in which 224 people perished. In that attack, the explosive was reportedly placed in a can of Schweppes.

He managed to bring cans of soda and cigarettes in with him to work, and he was unchecked, even till he videoed himself placing ‘bombs’ on board a flight. Channel 2 reported over the period of two days he accessed no less than 12 planes, unnoticed, emphasizing he could have done what he wanted.

Suleiman then decided to push the envelope and began hanging out outside planes despite lacking authorization to be there. He went to the area where passenger luggage is loaded onto flights before the passengers arrive and was asked for some help with bags.

The Israel Airports Authority has filed a police complaint against Suleiman for impersonating a public employee.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)