Israel Scrambles to Assign Blame After Terrorist Pilot Allowed Entry

An attempted terror attack on a Flydubai flight was thwarted after Israel received passenger lists, including that of the Omani pilot, in advance. However, a lack of clear responsibility among various Israeli security and transportation agencies has led to a blame game, with each body claiming it is not the appropriate entity to vet foreign flight crews.

The Ministry of Transport, responsible for approving foreign airlines, states it is not an intelligence agency and lacks the tools to vet pilots. The Shin Bet (Shabak) is responsible for the security of Israeli airlines, while the Mossad is reportedly responsible for foreign flights. The law, passed in 2023, mandates all airlines to submit passenger and crew data to Israel's National Passenger Data Analysis Center, which is accessible to the Mossad, Shin Bet, and police. Despite this, the Ministry of Transport claims it did not receive the passenger list for the Flydubai flight.

Sources indicate that the Ministry of Transport's Aviation Security Department, which is tasked with assessing the security of foreign flights, has not been actively reviewing crew data for approximately two years. This oversight raises concerns that other crew members from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel may have entered the country undetected. The State Comptroller previously warned of potential failures in this area in a May 2024 report, recommending a clearer distribution of responsibilities, but these recommendations were not implemented.

Minister Miri Regev initially blamed the Mossad, asserting that foreign flight security falls under its purview. However, a briefing at the Ministry of Transport stated that they do not have the capability to vet the backgrounds of foreign nationals and rely on the airlines' own security checks. The Civil Aviation Authority acknowledged that while they believe no pilots from hostile nations have landed in Israel, absolute certainty is impossible without halting all air traffic.