Netanyahu Turns Flydubai Attack Into Election Security Message — SkimNews
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- Netanyahu framed the attempted hijacking of Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv as the result of "propaganda" vilifying Israel, pointed to Iran and its proxies as intent on attacking Israelis abroad, and claimed the co-pilot had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination" — even as the motive remained unclear.
- The co-pilot stabbed the flight's captain before being overpowered by passengers and crew, prompting Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz to label it an "attempted jihadist terror attack" while Ahron Bregman of King's College London noted "it could have ended in another 9/11" but for "brave passengers, and a massive amount of luck."
- Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said "nothing even resembling" the plane attack appeared in a security briefing Netanyahu gave him Tuesday night, rejecting Netanyahu's link between his earlier pre-election warning and the incident.
- Former Israeli government adviser Daniel Levy told Al Jazeera the incident "could have the advantage of removing many things that Netanyahu doesn't want to see on the country's front pages, such as the approaching anniversary of October 7" and "give fresh impetus" to Netanyahu's push for resumed intensified strikes against Iran.
- Bregman said Netanyahu was likely "surprised" by the attack and would gain politically only if an Iranian link is established — a connection the US "has appeared to be backing away from," adding there was "clearly a security glitch" to be investigated.
- At last month's UN General Assembly, Netanyahu said Israel was fighting an "eighth front" — "the war for truth" waged in world media — accusing outlets including Al Jazeera of seeking to "brainwash young minds to hate Israel," a claim Al Jazeera rejected while noting Israel has killed 12 of its staff in Gaza.
- The article situates Netanyahu's claims of victimhood against international anger over Gaza (more than 74,000 Palestinians killed), Israeli strikes on neighboring states, and "increasingly violent settler pogroms" in the occupied West Bank that have triggered trade restrictions on Israeli settlements.
Why it matters: Netanyahu, who polls predict may narrowly lose elections later this month, now has a still-unexplained attack that former adviser Daniel Levy says could push October 7 anniversary coverage off front pages and revive arguments for intensified Iran strikes. Opposition leader Yair Lapid counters that no such threat appeared in Netanyahu's Tuesday security briefing, sharpening the domestic credibility fight over who owns the security narrative.
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