Netanyahu Orders Security Review of Foreign Aviation After Breach

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a thorough examination of all security aspects related to foreign civilian aviation arriving in Israel. The directive was given Sunday to the head of the National Security Council, Shmuel Ben Ezra, who is to appoint an investigator for the task. The Ministry of Transportation responded to accusations regarding responsibility for vetting foreign aircrews, refuting claims that link foreign flights to chartered flights. The ministry stated that leaked documents pertain only to chartered flights, not foreign ones, and that foreign entities are deliberately misleading the public. According to the ministry, its security department has been responsible for foreign aviation arrangements since 1977. Responsibility for chartered flights not secured by the Shin Bet was only transferred to them at the beginning of 2026, following a cabinet decision and budgetary allocations. The ministry also clarified that it is not an intelligence body and lacks the tools for background checks. Flydubai received explicit instructions, but the crew list was not provided to the ministry. Chairman of the Democrats, retired Major General Yair Golan, sharply criticized the situation, calling it "complete rot and existential neglect by the government of destruction, which is abandoning citizen security for political maneuvering."