The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated this Wednesday that one of the pilots of the Flydubai flight, which was forced to make an emergency landing after deviating from the route between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv, stabbed his colleague in the cockpit and attempted to cause the aircraft to crash with all the occupants on board.
Netanyahu described what happened as a "very serious security incident" and expressed his gratitude to those who "prevented a huge disaster," among them several crew members, the other pilot, and an Israeli passenger with whom he spoke this Wednesday about the incident.
"During the flight, as they approached Israel, one of the pilots stabbed the other and apparently tried to crash the plane. I spoke with one of the Israeli passengers. He told me that the plane started to dive," the Prime Minister explained in a video shared on his social media.
According to Netanyahu's account, this Israeli passenger managed to enter the cockpit and, along with another crew member, "neutralized the aggressive pilot while he was trying to sabotage the aircraft's systems," while a second crew member accessed the control position and managed to stabilize the aircraft.
"I pay tribute to these heroes who showed exceptional bravery and courage. They saved many lives. They prevented a huge disaster," the Israeli leader emphasized.
The head of government indicated that the situation has normalized at the airport in the Saudi city of Tabuk, where the plane had to land, and that "all passengers have been evacuated from the danger zone, while the involved pilot has been detained and is being interrogated."
Netanyahu added that he has ordered Israeli security services to remain on high alert for possible additional threats.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister received at Ben Gurion International Airport the Israeli passenger who helped subdue the alleged aggressor. Upon arrival, he was attended to by a team from the national ambulance service Magen David Adom (MDA).
"I saw the terrorist at the controls, between the two seats (...) I grabbed him, immobilized him, and took him outside (of the cockpit). I grabbed the controls and started pulling on them. The plane began to stabilize a little, and then the pilot told me that he would take control from that moment on," said the man identified as Yaniv.
The injured pilot, in stable condition according to India
The injured pilot has been identified as Smit Machchhar, of Indian nationality. Netanyahu has wished him a "swift and complete" recovery and has highlighted "his extraordinary bravery."
"Despite having been stabbed and suffering serious injuries, he defended himself, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and allowed the passengers and crew to subdue the attacker, thus avoiding an air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and those of other nationalities," the prime minister added.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has stated that Machchhar is "in stable condition" and continues to be hospitalized in a hospital in Tabuk, while the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are closely monitoring the evolution of the "brave pilot."
"We hope he recovers from his injuries as soon as possible. We are in contact with his family and assure them that we will continue to monitor his health with the Saudi authorities and extend all possible assistance for his well-being," the Foreign Ministry indicated.
Accusations of terrorist attack from the Israeli government
The caution shown by Netanyahu contrasts with the initial reactions of two of the most far-right ministers in his coalition, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, responsible for National Security and Finance, who rushed to label what happened as "terrorism."
In the same vein, the Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, has described this "serious incident" as "a thwarted jihadist attack" solely due to the "heroism of several Israeli passengers."
"According to the initial information we have, the terrorist's intention was one: to crash the plane with all its passengers," Katz emphasized, in statements reported by Channel 12.
The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has criticized the lack of reaction from the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to what he has defined as a "serious attempted attack." "Condemning terrorism against Israelis shouldn't be so complicated," he reproached the UN official on his social media.
For his part, the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, has addressed the matter with his Emirati counterpart, Abdulá bin Zayed al Nahyan, in a phone conversation that he described as "cordial" and in which he informed him of the return to Israel of the affected passengers.
"We express our mutual determination to strengthen relations between our countries at all levels and to collaborate to confront the extremist elements that seek to threaten security and undermine stability in the region," Saar has stated on his social media.
Emirates investigates the "security incident" on the flight to Tel Aviv
The General Civil Aviation Authority of Emirates has communicated that its teams continue to work with the competent authorities in the investigation of what it has described as a "security incident" on the flight to Tel Aviv.
The agency has specified that several crew members were injured due to the abrupt movements of the plane during the incident and that, after landing in Tabuk, they were transferred to a Saudi hospital for medical treatment.
In a note disseminated by the Emirati agency WAM, the Aviation Authority has reiterated its call to "not spread unofficial information nor anticipate the conclusions of the investigation," the results of which will be made public once the inquiries are completed.