Minister Regev Points Finger at Shin Bet: 'Security of Foreign Flights - Responsibility of Security Agencies'

Transportation Minister Miri Regev places responsibility for securing foreign flights on security agencies, not her ministry, following the attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight. Regev clarifies that the Shin Bet is responsible for Israeli flights and the Mossad for foreign companies, and that crew lists did not pass through the Transportation Ministry.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev was interviewed this evening on the "Shabbat News" program on Kan 11 and addressed the attempted hijacking of the Flydubai flight. Regev clarified that the responsibility for filtering intelligence information and screening foreign flight crews does not fall on her ministry, but on security agencies. According to her, there is a clear separation: the Shin Bet is responsible for Israeli flights, and the Mossad is responsible for foreign companies. "Flydubai" is a foreign company, and therefore handling it is the Mossad's responsibility. Regev emphasized that passenger and crew lists did not pass through the Transportation Ministry, as crew identification is the role of an intelligence agency. She noted that this is an international challenge, as France and the European Union do not screen pilots, and there is a new global danger. The minister confirmed that the flight was close to disaster, with the plane descending and the terrorist attempting to blow it up, which was prevented thanks to the resourcefulness of civilians. The political-security cabinet is expected to convene tomorrow to discuss the investigation of the incident.