A 2024 state comptroller’s report warned of serious security shortcomings and recommended a central coordinating authority. Ynet reports that the recommendation was not implemented.
A foiled security incident aboard FlyDubai flight FZ1073 has renewed questions over who oversees the security of foreign airlines flying to Israel. In May 2024, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman published a report on international civil aviation security for 2022–23. While the report remains classified, Ynet says it identified serious gaps, including in the protection of foreign carriers’ flights.
The comptroller recommended that the National Security Council coordinate a review with ministries and security agencies and develop a unified policy. Former Transportation Ministry security director Dani Shenar and former national security adviser Eyal Hulata told Ynet the recommendation had not been implemented. Shenar said responsibility is split among seven bodies, creating confusion. The Transportation Ministry, formally responsible for assessing foreign flights, says it is not an intelligence agency and relies on checks in countries of origin, airlines’ written commitments and overseas controls.
Disagreement became more visible after the FlyDubai incident. The Transportation Ministry said the airline had pledged to screen its crews and reported restrictions in its assignment system, but the ministry did not receive the crew list for flight FZ1073. Ynet says the arrangement therefore relied on the carrier’s written assurances. Former officials differ over which agencies should have identified the gaps, but both point to the absence of unified oversight.
After the incident, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a review of security arrangements for foreign civil aviation. No change to the responsibility structure has yet been announced. The Transportation Ministry said the circumstances were being examined and any confirmed deviation would be addressed. Shenar called for the facts to be established and, longer term, for a central state authority. The incident ended without disaster, but the debate over the 2024 recommendations and divided responsibilities remains unresolved.