[1] "Aliyah" picks up following a cliff-hanger in the previous episode, "Semper Fidelis", in which Tony DiNozzo fatally shoots Ziva David's Mossad boyfriend, Michael Rivkin, in self-defense.

While Tony claims to have acted solely in self-defense, Ziva, infuriated, does not believe him and Director Leon Vance is doubtful that he could have fairly survived the brawl with a Mossad assassin who was also a member of the Kidon Unit.

After he urges her to "take a punch" and "get it out of [her] system", Ziva snaps, knocking him to the ground while furiously contending that he could have chosen to wound, rather than kill, during the brawl.

Gibbs, having gotten the information, ultimately decides to leave Ziva in Tel Aviv, hoping to give her time to "remember who she can trust" and consider returning to NCIS.

The team is shocked by the turn of events, and Ducky notes that Gibbs took to Ziva more quickly than to any other agent before her and treated her as family.

However, Vance confronts him shortly afterwards and questions the integrity of Ziva's position at NCIS as well as her motives for killing her half-brother, Ari Haswari, four years earlier to save Gibbs.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger when in the Cape of Africa, terrorist leader Saleem Ulman (Omid Abtahi) enters a room and asks a tortured Ziva for information on NCIS.

Before the finale aired, then executive producer Shane Brennan stated that it would be "jaw-dropping" and "stunning" and that the impact of the episode's events would "send shockwaves" through NCIS.

"[4] Fans had previously discussed the possibility that Ziva's relationship with Michael Rivkin had been "arranged" by her father, as was confirmed in "Aliyah".

NCIS composer Brian Kirk created some of the sound tracks used for the episode, including the pieces entitled "Ziva Betrayed" and "Aliyah", which lasted 2:42 and 3:01 minutes respectively.

[7] Pauley Perrette's song, "Fear", was played during the scenes with characters Tony, Gibbs, Vance, and Ziva first arriving in Israel.

[10] Sarah Lafferty from Starpulse.com noted that the interrogation scene between Eli and DiNozzo was "a fantastic way to construct the playing field for a good season-ending conflict" but that the plot was slow at certain points.

"[11] Brandon Millman of Zap2it remarked, "Season six of "NCIS" began with Leroy Jethro Gibbs successfully getting the gang back together... now the love triangle of death threatens to once again tear it apart.

And in a sort of weird moment, goth forensic chick Abby, who didn't travel with the team, freaked out to Mark Harmon's character over the phone about how badly she wants to visit Israel - noting that it was 'No.

"[13] Elliot B. Gertel of Jewish World Review wrote that the episode "focused on Ziva and her drive for integrity in all her loyalties" and that it highlighted her "sense of homelessness".

Mandi Bierly from Entertainment Weekly wrote, "So who do you think that is, torturing a nearly unrecognizable Ziva (well done, makeup department) and asking her to 'Tell me everything you know...about NCIS'?