Transport Ministry Slammed for Negligence in Aircrew Security Checks
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Commentator Amit Segal criticizes the Transport Ministry's security failures.
- The ministry allegedly ignored a national passenger identification database.
- Crew data was reportedly transferred too late for effective checks.
- Security gaps allowed entry from citizens of non-diplomatic nations.
- Internal reports and audits had previously highlighted these issues.
Political commentator Amit Segal has sharply criticized the Ministry of Transport for alleged negligence in monitoring aircrew, including pilots from hostile countries, landing in Israel. The controversy intensified following a dramatic flight incident and attempted terror attack on a Flydubai flight, which raised serious questions about foreign aviation security measures.
Segal's main criticism targets the Ministry of Transport's complete disregard for the National Passenger Identification Center. This system was established to allow government ministries to access critical data, but Segal claims the ministry failed to utilize it. "The Ministry of Transport never bothered to authorize employees, never submitted a query, and didn't even bother to pay its share for the database," Segal stated, emphasizing the database's proven effectiveness in past emergencies, such as locating an Israeli woman who went missing in Vienna.
Segal questioned how potential threats could be identified if the ministry did not fulfill its basic responsibility of accessing the database. His accusations are supported by recent findings. Ynet reported that despite the Ministry of Transport having full legal access to the database to identify the nationalities of incoming flight crews, it never exercised this right since the system's inception. Furthermore, issues were discovered with the information transfer mechanism itself, with crew details only being provided to the system near the aircraft's door closure or even after takeoff.
Only after the Flydubai incident were guidelines changed to prohibit their deployment. The negligence is further highlighted by internal documents, including a classified report from the State Comptroller and joint discussions involving the Shin Bet and Mossad, all indicating the ministry's failure to uphold its responsibilities. Despite warnings from professional staff within the Ministry of Transport that they lacked the necessary tools for security management, no alternative mechanism was established to prevent the breach.
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