Israel Allowed Over 1200 Pilots From Hostile Nations Entry This Year

The Knesset discussion was prompted by a recent security incident on a Flydubai flight, where an Omani co-pilot, identified as Homam Al-Hammami or Maim Al-Maimi, allegedly attempted to hijack the aircraft and crash it in Israel. The co-pilot, who had previously been flagged by Omani authorities for extremist interests but was still hired by Flydubai, reportedly flew to Israel multiple times before the incident. Following the attempted hijacking, Flydubai suspended its flights to Israel and is considering extending this suspension beyond October 15.

The revelations exposed significant security and intelligence lapses. A Ministry of Transportation representative expressed surprise at the figures, while a ministry source admitted that airline crew lists, which are supposed to be submitted 48 hours before departure, have not been thoroughly checked for at least two years. Instead, Israel relied on airline self-declarations. While a security document indicates the Ministry of Transportation under Minister Miri Regev is legally responsible for screening foreign flight crews, Regev stated that security agencies are responsible.

In response to the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that those responsible would pay the price. MK Bismuth announced that Israeli civil aviation and security supervision procedures will undergo significant changes. A joint delegation of Israeli transportation and security officials is scheduled to travel to Dubai next week to discuss permanent security arrangements and the resumption of Flydubai flights.