Oman Citizen on Israel-Bound Flight: How Was Clearance Granted?

Serious questions have arisen regarding how an Omani citizen managed to clear Israel's security vetting process and board an Israel-bound Flydubai flight following an alleged hijacking attempt. This has become a central point of discussion among Israeli officials.

According to reports, although the suspect is a citizen of Oman, Oman and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, making the suspect's presence on an Israel-bound flight particularly puzzling to officials. Sources indicate that personnel associated with all flights from the United Arab Emirates to Israel are supposed to undergo security vetting by the domestic security agency Shin Bet. However, it remains unclear whether this security protocol was properly followed in this specific incident.

Investigators are currently exploring two possibilities: either the suspect was entirely bypassed by the Shin Bet's vetting process, or they were explicitly granted permission to board despite being checked. Notably, during the mid-air incident, after a pilot was seriously injured, backup pilots managed to stabilize the aircraft and safely divert it to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. Alongside the attempted hijacking, flaws in Israel's aviation security screening system are now a primary focus of the investigation.