Israel Transport Ministry Denies Responsibility for Flight Security

The Israeli Ministry of Transport is distancing itself from responsibility for the security of foreign flights, following the recent Flydubai incident. Dvir Rubinstein, Director of Aviation Security at the ministry, stated that their role is to work with airlines and ensure they declare that pilots have undergone security background checks approved by their local authorities. "We are not an intelligence body. The security department is not the Shin Bet; it has no security personnel abroad," Rubinstein told reporters, adding that the ministry's procedures do not account for a pilot intentionally crashing a plane. He also noted that the ministry did not receive the pilots' names, and expressed doubt about the operational status of the National Center for Passenger Data Analysis, established by a 2023 law to collect and analyze passenger data for security agencies. The center, which operates under the Tax Authority, is reportedly not yet fully functional, and the Ministry of Transport has not received any relevant information from it. Rubinstein could not definitively rule out the possibility of Iranian or Syrian crew members having landed in Israel in recent years, stating the ministry relies on foreign authorities' checks and international regulations, and that airlines risk losing their licenses if they violate protocols. Shmuel Zakai, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority, echoed this, emphasizing that the authority's responsibility is limited to safety and licensing, not security, which falls under other bodies. He confirmed that the airline was aware the pilot should not have been on the flight and that the airline is responsible for this. Zakai also explained that Flydubai suspended flights to Israel due to instructions from Emirati authorities pending investigation and a decision by the Israeli cabinet, based on recommendations from the Minister of Transport and the Shin Bet, to halt flights until the incident is understood. The ministry is planning discussions on the matter with Minister Miri Regev early this week and has issued updated guidelines to airlines.