US Delegation to Visit Israel to Review Security for Visa-Free Travel

The review follows an attempted terror attack on a Flydubai flight last week, which Channel 9 reported had four American citizens aboard. The incident exposed critical security vulnerabilities at Ben Gurion Airport, where approximately 1,240 pilots and flight attendants from countries without diplomatic relations with Israel gained access to restricted airport areas over the past year without adequate vetting.

A U.S. delegation currently in the United Arab Emirates will visit Israel in the coming days to inspect aviation security procedures and verify compliance with the conditions agreed upon when Israel joined the program in late 2023.

Meanwhile, Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev denied her ministry's responsibility for the lapse in a letter to the Prime Minister and National Security Advisor. Regev proposed a new "aviation permit" requiring all arriving passengers and crew to obtain approval 48 hours before departure, and requested 40 million shekels and ten new positions. However, sources indicate her proposal faces rejection over fears of reciprocal international measures.