Israeli Mall Spy Disrupts Commercial Flight

David Atmor (left) hugged his son, Itay Atmor, 22, as he was brought into East Boston District this morning for his arraignment on charges of interfering with a flight en route to Israel.

(4/27/2009) A judge ordered a 20-day psychiatric evaluation today for a young man who was muttering that he lived "6,000 years ago" moments before allegedly rushing the cockpit of a plane en route from New York to Israel, according to a police report.

Itay Atmor sat in seat 40D, according to the police report. The passenger sitting next to him, Zeev Sinsusia, said he was having a normal conversation with Atmor when he suddenly mentioned that he "lived 6,000 years ago" and that "this is going to be a short flight to Israel."

He forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Boston after he allegedly hit several numbers on a keypad that locked the cockpit door of the Delta Air Lines flight heading to Tel Aviv. An off-duty pilot and three other passengers wrestled Atmor to the ground and ultimately tied him up with a seat belt and a cord from a pair of headphones, according to a police report filed today in court.

Atmor pleaded not guilty today in East Boston District Court and was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital. His attorney, David Meier, told reporters that Atmor was returning to his native Israel for psychiatric help.

Atmor is an Israeli citizen who has been living in Medford (Oregon) and, according to the police report, selling Dead Sea soap at the CambridgeSide Galleria mall.

His friend, Yosef Edri, told police that Atmor had served three years in an elite unit of the Israel Army. Full Story

Israelis working in malls here illegally on tourist visas