Netanyahu Reveals Omani Pilot Was Islamically Radicalized

You might think a pilot flying to Israel is carefully checked. You would be wrong. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed the Omani co-pilot had undergone Islamist radical indoctrination. This man tried to crash a Flydubai jet. He stabbed the Indian captain before the plane dropped more than 14,000 feet. That fall happened in less than 30 seconds. It was a miracle anyone survived.

How did a radicalized man get this job? Netanyahu told Fox & Friends the pilot slipped through a rule loophole. The rule says pilots flying to Israel cannot be from countries without diplomatic ties.

But this co-pilot was an Omani national. He was allowed on board anyway. According to Netanyahu, jihadist symbols appeared in social media content. Those posts even discussed killing Jews. The attacker shouted, “Kill me, kill me,” in English.

One man stopped this disaster. Yaniv Hion, an Israeli passenger, knew what to do. He watched “Air Crash Investigation” on TV. He told Netanyahu, according to the Daily Wire, “I watch ‘Air Crash Investigations,’ Mr. Prime Minister.” Hion is also a flight instructor. He explained, “I’m a flight instructor. That’s another thing I teach.”

When the co-pilot tried to destroy the flight controls, Hion pulled backward sharply. Experts say the plane was only 40 seconds from disaster. Passengers bound the attacker with a headphone cable inside the cockpit.

We need to know how this happened. The United Arab Emirates says investigators are looking into any terrorist purpose. But the danger was real.

The attacker called out to the aircrew, “Kill me, kill me.” Netanyahu declared that the individual was prepared to commit suicide. We cannot let loose security rules put our families at risk. Every time we fly, we trust the people in the cockpit. This event proves we need tighter checks. We must demand answers from leaders who let this slip through. The safety of your next flight depends on closing these holes now.