Israeli Officials Criticized for Failing to Prevent Potential Plane Attack

An incident involving a Fly Dubai plane, where a pilot allegedly attempted to bring down the aircraft, is being described as a "disaster that already happened" rather than a near miss, according to an opinion piece. The author criticizes Israeli security authorities for failing to detect the threat, drawing parallels to a 2002 Arkia Airlines attack in Mombasa, Kenya, where two missiles were fired at a plane carrying Israelis but missed.

The article alleges that the pilot in the Fly Dubai incident was identified as a potential threat and grounded by aviation authorities in Oman and Morocco. However, the author claims that Israeli officials, including pilots David Zini and Roman Gofman, and potentially Minister of Transportation Miri Regev, were unaware of the danger, with the headline suggesting they were "asleep at the wheel." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also criticized for focusing on the survival of passengers rather than addressing the security failure.

The piece argues that the Fly Dubai pilot successfully bypassed security screenings in the Emirates and Israel, gaining access to the means to potentially down the plane. It highlights that Israeli security personnel are typically present at airports where Israeli flights depart, including Dubai, to ensure perimeter security. The author contends that despite these measures and intelligence cooperation, the threat was not neutralized.

In the 2002 Mombasa incident, the article explains that the attackers failed because they did not know how to properly launch the Stinger missiles, firing them from the side instead of behind the aircraft. This technical error allowed the Arkia plane to escape. The author implies that the Fly Dubai incident represents a significant security lapse, especially in light of a state comptroller's report that called for stricter oversight of incoming flights from Dubai.