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Prime Minister Netanyahu has said it is too early to determine whether Iran was involved in the apparent attempt to bring down a Flydubai passenger plane bound for Tel Aviv, adding that Israel will participate in the investigation.
In an interview with CNN, Netanyahu said the co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain before allegedly trying to bring down the plane was being questioned in Saudi Arabia and was expected to be transferred to the UAE.
“I spoke to the president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and he agreed that Israel would join the investigation and we'll find out,” Netanyahu said.
“Look, we know that Iran is sponsoring a lot of this, but I can't speak specifically of this. I can say that they did stand behind the attack in Britain. We passed that information to the Brits.”
Separately, a delegation from Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security and counter-intelligence service, is travelling to the UAE today for a security briefing ahead of the repatriation of Israeli travellers stranded there after Flydubai suspended flights to and from Israel while the investigation continues.
The incident took place yesterday morning aboard flight FZ 1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board, most of them Israelis.
The aircraft issued emergency signals and plunged thousands of feet after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to sabotage the plane’s systems.
Passengers and crew intervened to subdue the attacker, allowing another pilot to land the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All passengers subsequently returned to Israel safely, while both pilots were hospitalised.
Netanyahu hailed the Israeli passengers who overpowered the co-pilot, as well as the injured Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, as heroes.
On Tuesday, he met Yaniv Harun, the Israeli passenger who first entered the cockpit and tackled the attacker. Still covered in blood, he told the prime minister how he overpowered the knifeman, grabbed the controls and pulled them back as the plane began to level out.
Netanyahu hugged him and said: “I see you and I see a lion. You are a great hero.
The Indian pilot, badly wounded, was able to open the door, allowing Yaniv and others to get into the cockpit.
“My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery,” Netanyahu said.
“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker, preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.”
He added that the captain had saved the lives of 174 people.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised the pilot’s bravery, saying India was “proud”. On X, he wrote: “Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO.
“In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.”
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