Israeli-Russian journalist removed from Netanyahu’s US flight: What to know

Israeli-Russian journalist Nick Kolyohin, who contributes to Russian state-controlled RT television, was removed Tuesday from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight to Washington over alleged security concerns.

"Security officials decided not to approve the reporter's inclusion in the prime minister's flight to Washington due to security concerns that cannot be detailed at this moment," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Kolyohin had been part of a group of reporters scheduled to travel on the government plane, Wing of Zion, ahead of Netanyahu’s Wednesday meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.

Accreditation for the Wing of Zion requires preliminary security screening by the Shin Bet, which Kolyohin would have had to pass to be included. It remains unclear why he was removed from the plane while it sat on the tarmac.

The Shin Bet did not provide further explanation, stating that it is "tasked with securing the prime minister. … Decisions are made to reduce risks to the prime minister and to the information in his surroundings. Naturally, it is not possible to comment on the reasons underlying specific decisions.”

Kolyohin previously worked in Netanyahu’s office as a spokesperson from 2011 to 2012. He was employed by Channel 13 and Xinhua News Agency’s Israel bureau.

Speaking to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan after the removal, Kolyohin suggested the move was orchestrated to portray him as a Russian agent. “The same tactic has also been used against other journalists and politicians around the world who do not express anti-Russian sentiments in their statements,” he said. He added that a Shin Bet agent told him “my connections needed to be checked,” without specifying with whom.