Race To Power | Flydubai attack puts Israel security warnings under new scrutiny ahead of polls
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Race To Power | Flydubai attack puts Israel security warnings under new scrutiny ahead of polls")
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leaders contesting against him are staring at a high-stakes race. Photograph: (AFP)
The plane tragedy took place just a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had released a video, claiming that there are enemies who may try to attack Israel ahead of elections. The video was released on September 29th and the flydubai incident unfolded on September 30.
The incident aboard a flydubai plane on Wednesday is a disaster averted. A heroic Indian pilot fought back after being stabbed by his co-pilot on a flight en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Captain Smit was grievously injured but still found a way to open the cockpit door and let others in.
Eventually, passengers and other crew managed to overpower the attacking pilot. Despite a dangerous momentary loss of altitude, the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
The investigation is underway, the motive is still unknown, but Israel suspects it to be a hijack and crash disaster that has been averted.
The plane tragedy took place just a day after Benjamin Netanyahu had released a video, claiming that there are enemies who may try to attack Israel ahead of elections.
The video was released on September 29th, from Israel's Tel Nof airbase.
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The plane incident unfolded on September 30, and Israel views it as a major security threat.
But even before it happened, a political tussle over fear-mongering had already broken out in the country.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid lashed out at Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing the prime minister of 'fear mongering' through his comments on Tuesday.
Lapid's comments come after a security briefing was held at the highest level.
Even after the plane incident, Lapid accused the government of playing cheap politics at the expense of Israel’s security.
Lapid said in an earlier statement on social media, “Netanyahu ignored every warning before October 7, and now, 28 days before the election, he’s suddenly busy fear-mongering. I, of course, will not violate the confidentiality of the security briefing but it must be said: security threats must be handled professionally and responsibly.”
The latest flurry of accusations comes amid a close contest between the ruling coalition and opposition bloc, if the pre-election popularity polls are anything to go by.
This will also be Israel's first election following the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack and Israel's blanket bombing of Gaza thereafter.
The elections take place on October 27th this month.
Netanyahu and the leaders contesting against him are staring at a high-stakes race.
And for Netanyahu, the gamble is even bigger, because it decides the course of his political career.
The question now is this — will the Israeli prime minister leverage the latest incident just weeks before elections to reverse his unpopularity? Or was Bibi's warning of attack amid elections a genuine one?
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