Israel's Lax Screening of Foreign Airline Crews Raises Security Concerns
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel's security checks for foreign commercial airline crews are significantly less stringent than for private pilots.
- Known security vulnerabilities in screening foreign crews have been ignored for years.
- Intelligence agencies and the Ministry of Transport are reportedly in a dispute over who is responsible for vetting foreign crews.
- There are concerns that pilots from hostile nations may have entered Israel undetected.
- Aviation experts state both airlines and Israeli security services are responsible for crew vetting.
Following an attempted terror attack on a Flydubai flight, an investigation by Ynet has revealed significant discrepancies in Israel's aviation security protocols. While private aircraft pilots undergo stringent checks, including background investigations and nationality verification, foreign commercial airline crews face a far less rigorous process. This lax approach, despite the potentially higher risks associated with commercial flights carrying more passengers and fuel, has been a known issue for years, with previous warnings from the Transportation Ministry's security department and the State Comptroller going unaddressed.
According to Ynet journalist Itamar Eichner, commercial airlines like Flydubai provide a general commitment to adhere to Israeli regulations, including pilot citizenship requirements, but these are not individually verified for each crew member. This contrasts sharply with private flights, where pilots' passports and employment histories are meticulously examined, sometimes leading to denials for minor reasons, such as a pilot having previously visited Iraq or a businessman being denied entry for not having visited Israel before.
The Ministry of Transport attributes its inability to conduct thorough checks on commercial crews, often numbering 200-30 people, to a lack of intelligence capabilities and resources. They claim to rely on the foreign airlines' own security assurances. However, this stance has been met with criticism, with accusations that the ministry is attempting to shift blame to intelligence agencies like the Mossad and Shin Bet, both of which deny primary responsibility for vetting foreign crews.
Recent reports suggest that Israeli security services are now investigating the extent of the problem, with estimates indicating that pilots from countries hostile to Israel, including Syria, Iraq, and Iran, may have landed in Israel in recent years. The Civil Aviation Authority has stated that any violations will be investigated, but officials have admitted it's impossible to definitively ascertain who has entered the country. The effectiveness of a 2023 law mandating passenger data submission to Israeli authorities is also in question, as the central data collection center is not yet fully operational.
Experts like Yossi Fisher argue that both airlines and Israeli security services share responsibility. Fisher also highlighted the risk posed by aircraft flying over Israel, noting that the country lacks control over the identities of crews on these flights, raising concerns about potential security breaches.
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