Netanyahu Assigns Foreign Flight Security to Ministry of Transport Amid Disputes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assigned foreign flight security to the Ministry of Transport, following years of jurisdictional disputes between the Shin Bet and transport officials.
In mid-2024, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assigned responsibility for securing foreign flights to the Ministry of Transport and its security division, despite internal opposition citing a lack of tools, authority, and budget. According to a report broadcast on Army Radio, the Shin Bet relinquished responsibility for foreign flight security in 2021, while the ministry failed to assume its duties. A classified State Comptroller report from May 2024 highlighted the gap, prompting the security cabinet to form an inter-agency task force involving the National Security Council (NSC), the Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Shin Bet, Mossad, and the Ministry of Finance.
Following a year-long staff work by the NSC, sharp disagreements emerged within the Ministry of Transport. While Civil Aviation Authority Director Shmuel Zakai supported the move, the head of the ministry's security division, Avri Cohen, argued that the burden was excessive for the division. Sources cited severe clashes and letters of protest directed at Transport Minister Miri Regev and ministry director-general Moshe Ben-Zaken, warning of potential security vulnerabilities involving undetected foreign nationals on incoming flights. Ultimately, Netanyahu ruled in mid-2025 that the security responsibility rests with the ministry, though critics note that neither the transport division nor security agencies have since coordinated formal assistance protocols.
