Netanyahu says pilot stabbed co-pilot on Dubai flight, plane diverted to Saudi Arabia

A pilot on a flight from Dubai bound for Israel stabbed his fellow pilot and appeared to try to crash the aircraft, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Wednesday. According to the statement published by the Israeli government, almost everyone on board was Israeli, and the attack happened as the plane was nearing the country.

Mr Netanyahu said an Israeli passenger and a crew member forced their way into the cockpit and overpowered the pilot, and that a second flight crew travelling on the aircraft then took over and steadied it. The plane landed at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, he said, all passengers are out of danger, and the pilot accused of the stabbing has been detained and is being questioned by Saudi authorities.

What the Prime Minister described

The account comes from a passenger. Mr Netanyahu said he had spoken by phone or in person with one of the Israeli travellers, who told him the aircraft entered a spin and started descending sharply. That passenger, the statement says, got into the cockpit together with a member of the crew, and the two restrained the pilot while he was attempting to interfere with the aircraft's systems.

After that, Mr Netanyahu said, another crew that happened to be aboard went into the cockpit and regained control. He credited those involved with averting a major disaster and saving many lives. In the government release, he said: "I salute these heroes," praising what he called their resourcefulness and courage.

The statement was released in English on the official government website, and a video version in Hebrew was posted on the Prime Minister's YouTube channel. The Hebrew title of that video repeats his tribute to the people on the Dubai flight.

The Israeli government's response

Mr Netanyahu leads Israel's 37th Government, the coalition formed after the most recent national election, and the statement was issued through the official government portal as an address to the public, opening with the words "Citizens of Israel."

He said Israel is in continuous contact with what he described as the relevant authorities, with the aim of looking after the passengers and bringing them home safely. The statement does not specify which authorities, in which country, are involved in those contacts beyond the Saudi officials questioning the detained pilot.

He also said he had told Israel's security services to get ready for further possible threats. The statement does not say what those threats might be or which agencies were instructed. In Israeli official usage, the security services generally refers to the bodies responsible for military and internal security, and a "situation assessment" is a standing meeting of senior officials and security chiefs held to review a developing incident and decide on next steps. Mr Netanyahu said such assessments are ongoing and promised further updates.

Why the landing location stands out

The aircraft did not reach Israel. It came down at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, and according to the Prime Minister it is Saudi authorities who now hold the pilot. That means the questioning of the suspect, and any decisions about him, are for now in the hands of another state. The statement gives no detail on how the passengers will travel onward or when.

The release describes the incident as a serious security event. It does not use the word terrorism and does not say whether the stabbing is being treated as an attack directed at Israelis, as an act by an individual for personal reasons, or as something else.

What the reports do not say

This account rests entirely on a single source: the Prime Minister's own statement. No other organisation's reporting was available to us, and no airline, aviation authority or Saudi official is quoted. Several basic facts are missing:

• The airline and flight. The statement does not name the carrier, the flight number or the Israeli destination airport.
• The pilot. His name, nationality and any possible motive are not given.
• The injured pilot. The statement says one pilot was stabbed but does not describe his condition. It says passengers are out of danger, without saying the same of the crew.
• Numbers. No figure is given for passengers or crew on board.
• Other injuries. It is not stated whether the passenger or crew member who entered the cockpit was hurt.
• Timing. Beyond saying the incident happened in the morning, the statement gives no times for the attack or the landing.
• Return home. No timeline or arrangement for flying passengers back to Israel is described.

The passenger's description of the cockpit struggle reaches readers secondhand, as relayed by Mr Netanyahu, and has not been confirmed by any other party in the material available.