Last week, news of a secret visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to UAE were widely discussed in the int’l media but no official announcement regarding the visit was issued either by Israeli Prime Minister’s Office or UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which fueled continued speculation. While speculation surrounding the secret visit was still ongoing, another incident involving two countries caused concern around the world. In this regard, Israeli Prime Minister claimed that Flydubai co-pilot, who was of Omani origin, attacked Indian pilot with a knife and attempted to hijack the aircraft in order to carry out 9/11 style attack in Israel. It may be recalled that Flydubai aircraft was travelling from Dubai to Israeli city of Tel Aviv, carrying 170 passengers, a large number of whom were Israelis. After approximately two and a half hours of routine flight, when the aircraft entered Saudi Arabian airspace, co-pilot attacked the pilot with a knife and attempted to hijack the aircraft. However, passengers and crew members managed to gain access to the cockpit, and with the assistance of additional pilots on board, aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
After the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Indian pilot via video call and hailed him as a hero, saying that he had prevented a tragedy similar to 9/11. He claimed that Flydubai Omani co-pilot had previously been drawn towards Islamic extremism and under the influence of extremist ideology, intended to hijack the aircraft and destroy it along with all the passengers. Israeli Prime Minister warned that if any power was found to be involved in Flydubai incident, it would have to pay a heavy price. His remarks appeared to be an indirect reference to Iran. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to the pilot via video call, inquired about his well-being and praised his bravery. After the incident, Indian, Israeli media and citizens were also seen congratulating each other and praising the pilot’s courage.
Although investigators are looking into the incident, questions remain over how much truth there is in the reports that have emerged so far. UAE authorities have said that an investigation has been launched to determine whether the incident was linked to any terrorist motive or not. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have decided to further tighten the identification and security screening of pilots operating flights to Israel. Israel is already known for its extremely strict aviation security measures. In such circumstances, air travel is no longer merely a matter of aviation safety; monitoring of airspace and emergency response are increasingly becoming matters of national security. In view of the situation, Flydubai has temporarily suspended flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv. A connection between the incident and Iran has not yet been established. However, US President Donald Trump made a strong statement saying that if evidence emerged of Iranian involvement in a plot to destroy the Emirati aircraft, Iran would have to pay a heavy price. On the other hand, social and int’l media have described the incident as a possible “false flag” operation linked to a secret Trump-Netanyahu plan, intended to portray Iran as an extremist state, pave the way for US and Israeli military action against Iran, and provide political support to Trump and Netanyahu amid declining popularity. It should be remembered that US midterm elections in November 2026 and general elections in Israel are due to take place this month. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the incident on board the aircraft may have been deliberately orchestrated to achieve certain political and ulterior objectives.
Tensions between Iran and Israel are already at an extremely high level in the Middle East, and linking any unusual incident to Iran could have far-reaching political consequences. In Middle Eastern politics, word “conspiracy” is commonly used. A secret meeting, an unusual flight, a security incident and a few unexplained details can combine to create a dramatic narrative, even though the reality may be entirely different. Possibility of a false-flag operation in this incident cannot therefore be dismissed outright. India has often been accused of staging similar false-flag incidents against Pakistan. The recent incident also highlights how a carefully planned false-flag operation could potentially be used to associate any country or religion with extremism and terrorism and even pave the way for sanctions against that country. The encouraging aspect of this entire incident is that Pakistan’s name has not been mentioned anywhere. Had the Omani co-pilot instead been Pakistani, Pakistan might already have been branded a terrorist and extremist state, with calls for sanctions against it.
The question is whether it is appropriate to declare the individuals involved in an incident heroes and villains before a complete investigation has been conducted.
In cases involving serious allegations such as terrorism or hijacking, evidence must take precedence over emotion. Building an entire political narrative around an allegation against an individual, his nationality, or his alleged ideological beliefs can be extremely dangerous. What is needed is responsible conduct by the media, governments and political leaders until the investigation is complete. Comparing an incident to 9/11, blaming a particular country, or declaring an individual a terrorist before the facts have been established is unacceptable. In today’s world, the most dangerous form of hijacking is not necessarily hijacking of an aircraft itself, but the hijacking of minds of people around the world through misinformation. The consequences of such manipulation could be far more dangerous.
