Israeli Minister Under Fire After Near-Disaster Flight Incident

A serious aviation incident on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30th, where a co-pilot attacked the captain, causing the plane to plummet 16,000 feet in under a minute with over 170 people aboard, has led to calls for the resignation of Transportation Minister Miri Regev. The article argues that Regev bears ministerial responsibility for the lapse in security, which allowed a co-pilot with a history of "extreme views" and prior disqualification from flying by Flydubai in 2024 to be on the flight. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself described the near-disaster as a potential "Israeli 9/11."

The Ministry of Transport, under Regev's leadership, was responsible for receiving flight crew lists and forwarding them for security checks by the Shin Bet or Mossad. The incident highlights a severe security failure, as Israeli citizens discovered that foreign flights flying over their heads had crews without minimal security vetting. A 2024 state comptroller report had already recommended joint efforts to examine civil aviation security, including foreign flights to Israel, a recommendation that appears to have been inadequately implemented.

The article contends that Regev, upon taking office, had a duty to understand and ensure her ministry's role in such critical security matters was properly fulfilled. If her ministry's staff were incapable of performing these duties, she was obligated to report this, alert security agencies and the Prime Minister, and "turn tables" until the issue was resolved. The piece questions why Regev has not resigned or been dismissed, given the severity of the incident.

To underscore the expectation of ministerial accountability, the article cites ten cases from other democracies in recent years where ministers resigned or were dismissed due to failures, breaches of trust, or misconduct. Examples include UK ministers resigning over personal conduct and breaches of ministerial codes, a Danish minister over an illegal government order, a Portuguese health minister after a crisis in maternity services, and Australian, New Zealand, and Japanese ministers for various reporting and conduct failures. The article contrasts this with the situation in Israel under Prime Minister Netanyahu, suggesting a decline in ministerial responsibility.

It concludes by reiterating that the Flydubai incident places ministerial responsibility on Regev, even if others, such as the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad, may also share blame. The author asserts that Regev should resign immediately or be fired, otherwise, the role of ministers in Israel becomes questionable, serving only to draw salaries without bearing responsibility.