The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated this Thursday that the co-pilot of the Flydubai flight that was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday "was subjected to radical Islamist indoctrination" and insisted that "it is clear that he was a suicide bomber," amid reports suggesting that he may have attacked the pilot with the intention of bringing down the aircraft, a claim that has not yet been officially confirmed.
"He was subjected to radical Islamist indoctrination," he reiterated in an interview granted to the American network Fox News, the second in less than a day, before indicating that "he left his seat and tried to break the instruments" in the cockpit to cause the plane to crash.
Netanyahu explained that, after being subdued with the intervention of several passengers, the co-pilot "asked to be killed." "It is clear that he was a suicide bomber," the Prime Minister emphasized, adding that "it seems very likely that he was going to crash the plane," although he admitted that "there are no final conclusions" about the events, as investigations are still ongoing.
The Israeli leader also mentioned a "legal vacuum" regarding the entry into Israel of nationals from countries with which the country does not maintain diplomatic relations, recalling that the suspect has Omani nationality, which makes it essential to clarify why he was selected to be part of the crew of this flight.
Netanyahu also highlighted the "total cooperation of the Emirati authorities" in the investigation. "Both of us are interested in this not happening again," he stated, while reiterating that there are "indications" that "Iran and its subsidiaries are trying to carry out attacks against Israel and Israelis" ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for October 27.
The company Flydubai, for its part, confirmed that "an altercation occurred in the cockpit" during the journey between Dubai and Tel Aviv and that the aircraft had to be diverted to Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing. The airline emphasized that investigations are ongoing to clarify what happened and has requested to avoid speculation about the origin of the incident.
The alarms were activated early on Wednesday, when an emergency signal was issued from the cockpit while the plane was flying over Jordanian airspace. This signal was joined by a sudden loss of altitude and a sudden increase in speed, which led Israel to send military aircraft to the area out of fear of a possible hijacking, after they failed to establish communication with the crew. Finally, the aircraft managed to land.