Rivlin said to argue with El Al flight attendants over plane seat

An unpleasant incident reportedly occurred on an El Al flight from Dubai to Israel last Thursday, when an argument broke out between former president Reuven Rivlin and attendants on the plane over his seating arrangement.

According to reports, Rivlin was unhappy with the seats he and his girlfriend received in business class and when the crew were unwilling to change his seating, he sat down in a seat designated for the flight attendants.

The change in Rivlin’s seating was reportedly related to ongoing disagreements between Israel and the UAE over security arrangements in Dubai, which caused some flights to be canceled or combined.

“He acted like a child, saying that such behavior is not appropriate to his status,” a witness quoted by the Walla news site said.

“Had it been any other passenger, there would have been a police officer waiting for him on the tarmac.”

Neither Rivlin nor El Al responded to requests for comment.

In a letter to the government, the heads of Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia and Israir warned earlier this month that they face major disruptions to their routes to Dubai amid ongoing unresolved security issues.

The airlines said that due to the disagreements, starting in March they will be forced to bring down flights from nine a day to three a day. If flights to Dubai will stop, they said, Israel must also insist on Emirati airlines halting flights from the city to prevent them from gaining an unfair advantage.

“Israel’s commercial and national interests must be maintained,” the CEOs wrote. “Tens of thousands of passengers who bought tickets may find themselves stuck.”