Israel Risks US Visa Waiver Status After Thwarted Plane Attack

Israel faces the potential loss of its US visa waiver status after a thwarted terror attack on flydubai Flight 1073 on September 30. During the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, copilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft, which carried approximately 180 passengers, mostly Israelis. The attack was stopped by Captain Smit Machchhar and several passengers.

Miri Regev, the Israeli Transportation Minister, has declined requests from flydubai to resume flights to Israel. Regev proposed a new aviation visa for arriving passengers and crew, though officials view the plan as unlikely to succeed. She stated that the goal is to complete the mission of repatriating stranded Israelis in Dubai by October 8 while addressing the needs of those wishing to return.

The incident has triggered a review by a US delegation traveling to Israel to examine compliance with the 2023 security agreement governing the Visa Waiver Program. The event also sparked criticism of the Israel Ministry of Transportation for security lapses, including the failure to monitor crew from hostile countries. Reports indicate the ministry refused security assistance from the Shin Bet and the National Security Council in 2025, including a proposal to assign a lead intelligence officer to assess flight risks and requests to upgrade outdated systems in the Aviation Security Operations Center.