Israel's Shin Bet Joins Probe Into Flydubai Co-Pilot's Alleged Hijacking Attempt

Israel's Shin Bet security agency has sent investigators to Dubai to participate in the ongoing interrogation of Omani co-pilot Humam Al-Hammami. He is suspected of attempting to seize control of a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv on September 30. The involvement of the Shin Bet, revealed after military censorship allowed its publication, highlights concerns over security failures regarding foreign flights to Israel.

The participation is significant amid a debate in Israel about why the country's security apparatus failed to detect Al-Hammami before he boarded the flight, despite Israeli security agencies and the Ministry of Transportation having access to airline crew and passenger data. According to the Israeli account, Al-Hammami attacked the Indian pilot over Jordan as the plane neared Israel, intending to crash it with all passengers aboard. Israeli media reported that Al-Hammami confessed to planning to crash the plane at Ben Gurion Airport, or alternatively, at a U.S. base in Jordan if the Israeli airport was inaccessible. Reports also suggest he had scouted the route on previous flights and considered a similar attempt in July but backed down.

The Shin Bet's involvement comes amid rising criticism in Israel over the security of foreign airlines flying to the country. Haaretz reported that the Shin Bet had repeatedly warned the Ministry of Transportation about vulnerabilities in monitoring flight crews and passenger identities, recommending the Civil Aviation Authority take over foreign flight security, a recommendation also made by the National Security Council. However, the ministry opposed this. A 2024 State Comptroller report also pointed to aviation security gaps in 2022 and 2023, including for foreign carriers.

While the Ministry of Transportation holds official responsibility, both the Shin Bet and Mossad were aware of the ministry's security system's issues, with responsibility for not vetting Al-Hammami's available information still unresolved. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the head of the National Security Council to conduct a comprehensive review of foreign civil aviation security, though the council had previously addressed the issue.

The incident has also become a political issue, with Netanyahu highlighting the intervention of Israeli passengers who thwarted the alleged attempt. Opposition figures accused him of politicizing a security failure and pointed to ongoing shortcomings similar to those before the October 7th attacks. Some opposition members blamed the government and the Ministry of Transportation, while Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman called for the resignation of the Shin Bet chief, David Zini. Netanyahu had previously linked the incident to general warnings about potential election interference, though reports indicated no specific intelligence about the flight itself.