Netanyahu orders security review of international flights to Israel after Flydubai attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a comprehensive security review of international flights entering Israel following a failed attempt to crash an aircraft by an Omani co-pilot. The aviation minister, Shmuel Ben Ezra, has been tasked with investigating all aspects of foreign civil aviation security to ensure such a breach does not occur again.

The incident occurred when the Omani co-pilot, who holds no diplomatic ties with Israel, attempted to crash a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv after stabbing the Indian captain.

Critics have questioned how a pilot from a country with no diplomatic relations with Israel was permitted to operate a flight destined for Tel Aviv. The Transport Minister, Miri Regev, has denied responsibility for the security lapse, stating that oversight for foreign airlines falls under the jurisdiction of Mossad and Shin Bet, Israel's intelligence agencies. A 2024 report by the state comptroller highlighted the lack of clear responsibility division for foreign airlines' security and recommended a government response.

Israeli media have reported that pilots from countries hostile to Israel have frequently flown into the country in recent years. Keren Terner, a former transport ministry director general now running for parliament, blamed Regev for the security failure, arguing that the Civil Aviation Authority should bear the responsibility for foreign companies' security.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid dismissed Netanyahu's announcement of the security review as a "sham investigation," citing the series of failures that preceded the incident. Gadi Eisenkot, a prominent challenger to Netanyahu in the upcoming election, called for the Transportation Minister to resign in the wake of the incident.