Nearly 1,240 Crew Members From Hostile Nations Entered Israel This Year
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Around 1,240 aircrew members from nations without diplomatic ties to Israel have entered the country this year, a figure revealed in a classified Knesset committee meeting. The revelation follows an incident involving a Flydubai flight and an Omani pilot. While the Ministry of Transport is officially responsible for foreign flight security, it denies direct oversight, relying instead on originating countries' checks.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Approximately 1,240 aircrew members from non-diplomatic nations entered Israel this year.
- The figure was disclosed during a classified Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee discussion.
- The Ministry of Transport is officially responsible for foreign flight security.
- The ministry relies on originating countries' security checks, not individual pilot vetting.
- The revelation follows an incident involving a Flydubai flight and an Omani pilot.
Approximately 1,240 aircrew members, including pilots and co-pilots, from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel have entered the country since the beginning of the year. This figure was revealed during a classified discussion by the intelligence subcommittee of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, with participation from the National Security Council, Mossad, and Shin Bet.
The revelation comes in the wake of the Flydubai incident involving an Omani pilot en route to Israel. In 2022, a law was enacted granting authorities access to passenger data for those entering or leaving Israel, establishing a database managed by the Tax Authority. While the Shin Bet, Mossad, and Israel Police have full access, government ministries, including the Ministry of Transport, can only submit inquiries.
Discussions are ongoing regarding responsibility for the security lapses. The Ministry of Transport's Security, Emergency, and Cyber Department is officially tasked with setting security standards for transportation services, including vetting foreign flights. However, the ministry denies responsibility, stating it is not an intelligence body capable of thwarting threats. Despite this, government decisions have placed responsibility for foreign flight security on the Ministry of Transport.
According to its own procedures, approved by the National Security Council, the ministry relies on the security checks of the originating country's authorities rather than vetting all pilots individually. All parties involved must now examine how 1,240 crew members entered Israel, seemingly in violation of agreements and logic.
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