Criticism Mounts Against Israeli Transport Ministry After Flydubai Hijacking Attempt

Following an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai aircraft, criticism has intensified against the Israeli Ministry of Transport's security division. Security experts claim that the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) repeatedly flagged security issues at airports in the United Arab Emirates, but the Ministry of Transport allegedly ignored these warnings. According to a report in "Maariv," citing an anonymous source, the Israeli civil aviation security system has a clear division of responsibilities, with the Shin Bet overseeing security for Israeli airlines El Al, Arkia, Israir, and Air Haifa. This includes monitoring intelligence, vetting passengers and crew, and ensuring security at check-in counters and boarding gates for these airlines globally.

The Shin Bet maintains strict security standards, which led its head, David Zini, to suspend flights by Israeli airlines from the UAE. However, the source alleges that the Ministry of Transport failed to address the problem and even permitted pilots from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel to operate Flydubai planes. This allegedly occurred in the case of the co-pilot, an Omani national, who attempted the hijacking.

Security officials stated that while foreign leased aircraft operated by Israeli airlines are under Shin Bet oversight, their security measures differ from those on Israeli-owned planes. Nevertheless, the Shin Bet vets all crew members, including pilots, flight attendants, and even ground service technicians approaching the aircraft, before granting flight clearance to Israel. A security system representative called for a thorough internal investigation within the Ministry of Transport to determine how such a serious incident, contrary to all security procedures, could have occurred.