Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – It's still too early to determine whether Iran was involved in yesterday's attack on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who returned to the incident today in an interview with Fox News, said: "It's too early to say," Netanyahu stated regarding a possible Iranian connection, adding that the Flydubai co-pilot "hated Israelis."
The prime minister explained that he did not know the “past” of the man who attacked the captain in an apparent attempt to bring down the plane, but described what happened as “fanaticism and hatred of an incalculable level.”
“The pilot responsible for the attack is now under investigation in Saudi Arabia.
"I believe he will be extradited to the United Arab Emirates, where he comes from, or at least where he left," Netanyahu said. "We will follow the investigation closely and, if possible, participate in it."
Netanyahu then praised the injured captain and the passengers who intervened to stop the attacker and regain control of the plane. "They prevented a catastrophe that could have had global consequences," he said, calling their intervention "an act of great courage that prevented a repeat of 9/11."
Referring specifically to the Israeli plumber who intervened, Netanyahu spoke of “an incredible act of heroism: his, that of the Indian pilot and of the people who helped them.
The prime minister then described the dramatic struggle on board to regain control of the plane, after it had plunged 17 feet in the space of a minute, according to the website Flightradar24.
It is not known why the pilot, identified as Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, was assaulted by the co-pilot during the flight, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
In footage released by his office, Netanyahu was shown meeting passengers at Tel Aviv airport and hugging a man with a bloody shirt.
Netanyahu said he had been informed that the plumber “had managed to enter the cockpit, saw the attacker” and “grabbed him from behind, pulling him back; then he got into the pilot’s seat and pulled back the control stick,” while other people on board restrained the attacker.
“He had to save them and he acted with great composure and courage,” added the Israeli prime minister.
Netanyahu said the motive for the incident was unclear and that authorities were investigating whether it was linked to Iran or some other actor.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will award the Presidential Medal for Civil Courage to the four men who neutralized the Omani terrorist aboard the Fly Dubai flight, saving the passengers: Yaniv Hayon, Shota Mosiyev, Zvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan.
The President's Office stated that “during the incident, the Israelis acted swiftly and decisively.
Passenger Tali Manes reported an anomaly, and Hayon, Zvika Manes, and Rajuan rushed to help, entering the cockpit and overpowering the attacker, risking their own lives. After neutralizing him, Dr. Mosiyev administered first aid to the pilot, who was seriously injured. Their prompt action prevented a catastrophe of much greater proportions.
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