The apparent attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight carrying 170 mostly Israeli passengers was another reminder to Israelis of the constant threat of terror and war. Only the bravery of the chief pilot and passengers prevented a major disaster.
A few hours earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video warning of attempts to harm Israelis in the lead-up to the country’s general election on October 27. Initially, his opponents criticised this as a stunt to divert public discourse towards security concerns, and away from his part in the devastating failures that enabled the October 7 Hamas attacks.
