After initially claiming it had no record of an Egyptian aircraft landing in Israel, the Israel Airports Authority has changed its account regarding the flight attributed to former Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
As previously reported in an Israel Hayom investigation published last December, Kamel landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Sept. 26, 2023, 11 days before the Oct. 7 massacre, to warn Israel about a Hamas attack.
In response to Israel Hayom's initial inquiry, the authority said no such flight appeared in its records, even though Israel Hayom presented it with documentation of the flight.
In a follow-up inquiry submitted by Israel Hayom a week ago, the authority gave a different response: "Private aviation at Ben Gurion Airport receives all required aviation services, including takeoff, landing and refueling services. For privacy reasons, the Israel Airports Authority does not provide information of any kind regarding private flights, including details about passengers, flight times, destinations or flight routes."
Under established procedures, a visit by a senior foreign intelligence official is supposed to be coordinated with the Shin Bet security agency, the National Security Council and the Prime Minister's Office. Yet none of those bodies is willing to provide an answer.
The Prime Minister's Office and National Security Council did not respond to Israel Hayom's request for comment. The Shin Bet said, "We are not commenting on this entire matter at this time," and referred Israel Hayom to the Israel Airports Authority to determine whether it was the responsible body. The authority's response appears above.
Who takes responsibility?
Meanwhile, the question of oversight of flights to Israel arose again this week in a separate context following last week's attempted attack aboard a flydubai flight en route from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport.
The Omani co-pilot attempted to crash the aircraft. The Indian captain regained control of the plane with the help of the crew and passengers, and the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. There were 174 passengers on board, including 27 children.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as "a serious security incident" and acknowledged: "Clearly there was a loophole here, and we are dealing with it."
In Israel, too, it remains unclear who bears responsibility. Oversight of incoming flights is divided among several bodies. The Civil Aviation Authority grants foreign airlines operating permits and is authorized to enforce the conditions imposed on them. At the same time, the Transportation Ministry serves as a coordination point among the various security agencies.
According to reports, the Shin Bet is responsible for the security of Israeli airlines, not foreign carriers. As early as May 2024, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman recommended formally defining the division of responsibility among the relevant bodies, noting that some government decisions governing the field date back to the 1970s.
