Netanyahu Criticized for New Aviation Security Review

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the National Security Council (NSC) to appoint an examiner to review foreign aviation security for Israel. This decision comes amid criticism that it is too little, too late, particularly as a classified report on the matter was submitted approximately two years ago. The report, which was presented to Netanyahu in January 2024, was compiled after the State Comptroller examined the issue. The Comptroller had recommended that the NSC, along with the Ministry of Transport, Shin Bet, Israel Airports Authority, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Ministry of Finance, conduct a comprehensive review.

However, Netanyahu's current directive for an internal NSC review, which lacks significant authority, is being questioned. Critics argue that all aspects of aviation security have already been thoroughly examined and documented in the existing two-year-old report. The incident involving Fly Dubai flight 1037, described by security officials as a "mega-terror attack that succeeded," has highlighted a series of intelligence failures, crew monitoring lapses, pre-flight screening deficiencies, and issues with Israel's dealings with the UAE.

Questions remain about the scope and mandate of the newly appointed examiner. Critics suggest that an external committee, including a Supreme Court justice and former intelligence, aviation, and security experts, would have been more appropriate for a thorough investigation. The Ministry of Transport stated that its security department is responsible for security arrangements for foreign aviation entering Israel, but claimed it did not receive the flight crew list for FZ1073 and lacks direct access to flight manifests. Security sources, however, contend that the information was available to the National Passenger Data Diagnosis Center (MALAN) and that the Ministry of Transport's security department failed to retrieve and examine it.