Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the individual who attempted to seize control of a Flydubai flight—en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv—by stabbing the co-pilot had been radicalized by “Islamist extremist ideology.”
He stated that preliminary evidence from the investigation points to this conclusion. It is also suspected that the attacker intended to crash the aircraft.
Last Wednesday, about two hours after taking off from Dubai, the Flydubai aircraft dropped more than 17,000 feet in altitude. During this time, the attacker stabbed the co-pilot and attempted to take control of the cockpit. Passengers and crew members subsequently subdued him and regained control of the plane. The aircraft eventually landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said the attacker “most likely” intended to bring the plane down. He noted that the suspect is an Omani national.
Netanyahu stated that even after passengers and crew had subdued and restrained the attacker, he repeatedly told the crew, “Kill me, kill me.”
In the words of the Israeli Prime Minister, “So, it is beyond question that he wanted to commit suicide.”
Netanyahu added, “There were many passengers on the plane. When you combine that with his Islamist leanings and the information emerging about his past radicalization, I think we will find a very significant lead.”
However, the Israeli Prime Minister also made it clear that he does not wish to reach a definitive conclusion regarding the actual motive behind the attack just yet. Meanwhile, the UAE’s state news agency reported that an investigation has been launched to determine if there is any link to “terrorist activity or motives” behind the incident.
On the other hand, the Saudi Ministry of Interior stated that both the pilot and co-pilot were sent back to the UAE on Thursday morning after receiving medical clearance.
Earlier, UAE officials had noted that the aircraft involved in the attack was registered in the UAE and flew under its flag; consequently, they held jurisdiction over the investigation.
Indications of Iranian Involvement
US President Donald Trump and UAE officials have hinted at possible Iranian involvement in the incident, though they stopped short of directly blaming Tehran.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump said that if evidence of Iranian involvement in the attack is found, the country would face a “severe blow.”
Earlier, when asked on Fox News whether there were indications of Iranian involvement in the attack, Netanyahu replied, “It would be premature to say anything about that right now.” Addressing the question of how an Omani national came to be working on a flight bound for Israel, Netanyahu explained that pilots from countries lacking diplomatic relations with Israel are generally not permitted to operate flights to Tel Aviv. He said, “Clearly, there was a loophole here, and we are addressing that—along with other issues—in full cooperation with the UAE government. Both sides want to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.”
While the UAE maintains diplomatic relations with Israel, the latter does not yet have formal diplomatic ties with Oman.
A BBC report stated that both Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have hailed the Indian pilot injured in the attack, Captain Smit Machhar, as a “hero.”
Deepak Mittal, India’s Ambassador to the UAE, visited Captain Machhar in the hospital on Thursday. Later, the Indian Embassy announced on social media that he is “doing well and recovering.”
