Israel may have violated US visa waiver terms through failure to conduct air crew background checks
Israel joined the US Visa Waiver Program in 2023. As part of the process, it must meet conditions set by the US, including receiving and reviewing information about passengers and air crews.
Israel may have breached US Visa Waiver Program terms by allegedly failing to conduct thorough background checks on the Omani co-pilot aboard a flydubai flight to Israel, according to a source familiar with the matter. The incident has raised concerns that Israel might not be meeting the program's requirements, which include receiving and reviewing information about passengers and aircrews arriving in the country.
Should this be the case, US authorities may now investigate whether Israel remains compliant with the Visa Waiver Program. The matter comes in the wake of the attempted hijacking aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which originated from Dubai and ended in Tel Aviv. The co-pilot, who used a cockpit crash axe to attack his captain, managed to bypass the screening procedures and was approved as a member of the flight crew traveling to Israel.
Israel became a member of the US Visa Waiver Program in 2023, and it is obligated to adhere to the program's conditions to participate.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
