What happened
A significant security concern has been raised in Israel after it was discovered that over 1,200 aircrew members from countries without diplomatic ties to Israel have entered the country in the past year. This revelation came to light during an investigation into the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight bound for Israel.
According to reports, some of these crew members hold dual citizenship, including passports from countries such as Lebanon and Syria. A former worker at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport reported seeing pilots and flight attendants with passports from these countries, expressing confusion over how they were allowed to fly to Israel.
Under current aviation agreements, pilots operating flights to Israel are required to hold passports from countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. The fact that an Omani co-pilot was able to join the crew of a flight to Israel, despite Oman not having diplomatic relations with the country, has raised questions about security procedures.
Following the attempted hijacking, which was thwarted by the actions of an Indian pilot and several Israeli passengers, Israeli officials have announced plans to increase security screening for pilots flying into the country. A spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister's office stated that the goal is to ensure higher security procedures are in place, even for flights operated by non-Israeli airlines.
