Flight piloted by Indonesian prevented from landing in Israel

Israeli authorities reportedly learned the cargo flight’s pilot was Indonesian only after the aircraft had departed for Tel Aviv.

By World Israel News Staff

A cargo flight bound for Israel was forced to turn back midair after Israeli authorities denied it permission to land when a crew manifest revealed that its pilot was an Indonesian citizen.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, and its government has frequently taken a hostile stance toward the Jewish state.

According to a report by Hebrew-language Channel 13 News, Ethiopian Airlines submitted the flight’s crew list to Israeli authorities only after the aircraft had already taken off and was heading toward Tel Aviv.

Ynet reported that the plane was forced to return to Addis Ababa in the early hours of Monday morning while it was still in Ethiopian airspace, dumping fuel before landing.

After the aircraft returned to the Ethiopian capital, the pilot was replaced with another crew member, allowing the flight to proceed to Israel.

The incident comes on the heels of the Flydubai attempted hijacking, in which an Omani national stabbed his co-pilot in a thwarted plot to carry out a 9/11-style attack.

Critics questioned how Israeli transportation officials and security agencies had permitted a citizen of Oman, a country that does not recognize Israel, to serve as a co-pilot on a flight landing in the Jewish state.

The latest case has also drawn attention to the number of airline crew members from countries considered hostile to Israel who have been permitted to enter the country in recent years.

According to Hebrew-language reports, approximately 1,200 crew members, including pilots and flight attendants, who hold citizenship in countries such as Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon have been allowed to land in Israel.

At least some reportedly hold second passports issued by countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.