National Security Council Under Scrutiny Amid Aviation Security Lapses
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Following an attempted plane crash, Israel's National Security Council is being tasked with investigating aviation security failures concerning foreign airlines, despite prior knowledge of the issues and a history of coordination problems.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- National Security Council to investigate foreign airline security lapses.
- Awareness of vulnerabilities existed within multiple Israeli security agencies.
- Previous recommendations for improved aviation security were not implemented.
- Prime Minister Netanyahu has assigned the NSC to lead the new investigation.
- Critics question the NSC's suitability for the task due to past failures.
A recent incident involving an Omani pilot attempting to crash a Flydubai plane with around 180 people aboard has highlighted significant weaknesses in Israel's aviation security, particularly concerning foreign airlines. The National Security Council (NSC), which reports directly to the Prime Minister, was aware of these vulnerabilities, as were other security agencies like the Shin Bet, Mossad, Civil Aviation Authority, and the Air Force. The NSC, tasked with coordinating government bodies, had access to classified reports detailing these issues, including a comprehensive audit by the State Comptroller over two years ago that identified shortcomings in the Israeli aviation security system. Despite acknowledging these gaps and conducting internal reviews, the NSC failed to implement effective solutions. Previous recommendations, such as establishing a national authority to oversee all flights to and from Israel, were neglected and fell through the cracks between various government ministries and agencies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now directing the NSC, headed by Shmuel Ben Ezra, to investigate these critical security failures in foreign airline operations entering Israel. The investigation is expected to examine passenger and crew list vetting, security screening procedures, and intelligence sharing among agencies. The task is considered straightforward, requiring the NSC to review existing State Comptroller reports from the past two decades and its own internal assessments from two years prior. Critics argue that given the NSC's history of coordination difficulties during national crises, including the Second Lebanon War, Operation Protective Edge, and the COVID-19 pandemic, an external body should be responsible for investigating these aviation security lapses and the NSC itself.