Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a comprehensive review of security arrangements governing foreign airlines flying to Israel following the attempted attack aboard a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu instructed National Security Council chief Shmuel Ben-Ezra to appoint an expert to examine security procedures surrounding foreign civilian flights to the country. The decision follows the September 30 incident aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073, during which an Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked the flight’s Indian captain as the aircraft was travelling from the United Arab Emirates to Israel.
The captain was seriously injured but managed to resist the attacker, while other people aboard intervened. The aircraft was subsequently diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The incident has since raised questions in Israel over the vetting of foreign airline crews operating flights to the country.
According to *Haaretz*, citing sources familiar with the matter, Israeli security agencies had repeatedly warned the Transport Ministry in recent years about potential vulnerabilities in the screening and monitoring of foreign airline crews and the verification of passenger identities. The newspaper reported that the Shin Bet security service had previously proposed transferring responsibility for oversight of foreign airlines and their crew lists to Israel's Civil Aviation Authority. The Transport Ministry reportedly opposed the proposal, leaving the existing oversight mechanism in place.
Separate questions have emerged over what was known about the alleged attacker before the flight. *The Wall Street Journal*, citing sources, reported that Omani authorities had previously developed concerns about the man over what was described as an excessive interest in radical ideology. According to the report, those concerns resulted in him being barred from working as a pilot for Oman Air, assigned to a deradicalization programme and transferred to an office position. The newspaper reported that Omani authorities did not communicate those concerns to Israel.
Meanwhile, the reported that authorities in the United Arab Emirates had provided Israel with a list of passengers and crew members aboard the flydubai flight before its arrival. According to AP's sources, Israeli authorities received no security warning concerning any of the passengers or crew members on the list. Questions have also been raised over how an Omani national was cleared to operate a flight bound for Israel, given the absence of formal diplomatic relations between Oman and Israel.
The September 30 incident occurred after the co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit. The confrontation was brought under control, allowing the aircraft to divert to Saudi Arabia without the loss of the plane. Netanyahu subsequently praised Machchhar for his actions and invited the Indian captain to Israel, describing him as a “hero” for preventing the alleged attack.
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