Jerusalem Post says 'hijacking', The Insider 'attempted terror attack', Le Figaro only 'diverted' — and nobody we read names who sent the co-pilot

What is agreed. On Wednesday the co-pilot of a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv attacked the captain in mid-air. Passengers overpowered him. HotNews.ro, Le Figaro and Suspilne all carry this, each from a different source.

What it is called. The outlets do not agree on a word.

Outlet	Word for it	Whose voice
Jerusalem Post	"hijacking"	its own
Jerusalem Post	"dangerous terrorist attack"	Anwar Gargash, UAE
The Insider	"attempted terror attack"	its own
HotNews.ro	tried to crash the plane	its own
Le Figaro	"diverted"	its own, in the headline

Who saved the flight. Le Figaro quotes Israeli authorities: only "Israeli passengers" stopped the crash. HotNews.ro says "passengers" and gives no nationality.

The motive. HotNews.ro quotes Netanyahu: the attacker had gone through "a process of Islamist radicalisation". That is his claim. Nothing we hold from investigators backs it.

Who is heard. 4 of 6 reports carry Israeli officials. 1 carries a UAE official. 1 carries the wounded captain. None names the co-pilot or carries his side, and none carries flydubai's.

Not settled. - Who, if anyone, "sent" the co-pilot. Netanyahu threatens them, but no report names them. - Why he did it. Reuters reports that Israeli officials had yet to question him. - Gargash's words. Only the Jerusalem Post headline carries them. The text we hold does not quote him.

What this is about. A pilot on a scheduled passenger flight between the United Arab Emirates and Israel turned on his own captain in the air. Two governments that only recently made peace now have to handle what follows together.

How it got here. Israel and the UAE had no diplomatic relations for decades. That changed with the Abraham Accords, signed at the White House on 15 September 2020. Under them the UAE and Bahrain recognised Israel. Embassies, trade and direct flights followed. flydubai, a budget airline owned by the government of Dubai, became one of the carriers on the Dubai–Tel Aviv route.

The Hamas-led attacks on Israel of 7 October 2023 were followed by the war in Gaza, which put those ties under strain. The UAE criticised how Israel fought the war but did not break off relations, and flights between the two countries continued.

Who is involved. - Israel. Its citizens were on board, and its officials want to question the co-pilot. - The UAE. The airline is based there, and its government is responsible for the airline's crew. Anwar Gargash is the diplomatic adviser to the UAE president. - Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister. He compared what could have happened to the attacks of 11 September 2001, when hijackers flew airliners into buildings in the United States.

What is at stake. If the co-pilot acted alone, this is a crime aboard one aircraft. If someone sent him, as Netanyahu suggests, the question becomes who did, and whether Israel answers with force. The investigation also tests whether Israeli and Emirati authorities can work together on a case where the accused is a crew member of a UAE airline.

Where it stands. The co-pilot is in custody. Reuters reports that Israeli officials are to question him. The Insider reports that Israel has begun bringing home passengers left stranded in the UAE after the attack. In the reports we hold, no investigator has confirmed a motive.

The story so far

Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv: Jerusalem Post says 'attempted hijacking', Libération says 'alleged attack' · 1 Oct 2026

Earlier stories The AI Times filed on this thread.

What is being argued about

What to call it: hijacking, terror attack, attempted crash or diverted flight
Who stopped it: 'Israeli passengers' or simply passengers
Netanyahu's claim of Islamist radicalisation, and his threat to whoever sent the co-pilot
Whether Israel and the UAE handle the investigation together

Four words for one flightSide by side

Outlet	Word for the event	In whose voice	Who stopped it
Jerusalem Post	"hijacking"; "dangerous terrorist attack"	Its own; Gargash (UAE)	Not said in the text we hold
The Insider	"attempted terror attack"	Its own	Not said in the text we hold
HotNews.ro	tried to crash the plane	Its own; motive from Netanyahu	"passengers"
Le Figaro	"diverted" (headline); "attack"	Its own	"Israeli passengers", according to Israeli authorities
Suspilne	"attack" on the captain	The captain's own account	Not said in the text we hold

Taken from each report's headline and opening text. Reuters is left out because it does not name the act.

Sources

The Jerusalem Post T The Insider

HotNews.ro

Le Figaro S Suspilne

Claims and verdicts

true The co-pilot of the flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv attacked the captain mid-flight and was overpowered by passengers.

Three outlets report the attack, each from a different source. HotNews.ro says the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and was immobilised by passengers. Suspilne carries the captain's own account, and Le Figaro cites Israeli authorities saying passengers subdued and tied up the co-pilot.

Checked against 3 sources:

HotNews.ro S Suspilne

Le Figaro

unverified The co-pilot had undergone a process of Islamist radicalisation.

Only HotNews.ro reports this, and it is attributed to Netanyahu. No investigator's finding is given, and Reuters reports that Israeli officials had not yet questioned the co-pilot.

Checked against 2 sources:

HotNews.ro

Reuters

unverified Anwar Gargash, senior adviser to the UAE president, called the incident a dangerous terrorist attack.

Only a Jerusalem Post headline carries Gargash's words, and the body text we hold does not quote him. No other report we hold confirms the statement.

Checked against 1 source:

The Jerusalem Post

Who wrote it

V Vladimir Ionescu HotNews.ro

What the bias passes found in their reporting

Cause named, actors active the blockade is given a cause and a date, with the United States and Israel named as having struck first×1

Charge headlined Merz's war-crimes charge is carried into the headline×1

Comparison carried the Weimar comparison is reported as the president's warning×1

Dating and attribution dates the attack and sets it against an election two weeks away; one report we hold dates neither×1

Claims we checked that rest on their reporting

1 misleading7 unverified3 true

From 303 reports we hold under this byline, at HotNews.ro. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →

К Каріна Левицька Suspilne

What the bias passes found in their reporting

Anonymous source The denial rests on unnamed sources inside the presidential office.×1

Anonymous sourcing the denial comes from unnamed sources inside the presidential office, not from a named official×1

Both sides attributed The headline attributes both Seoul's claim and Kyiv's denial.×1

Grievance placement Leads with what the students are protesting against×1

Claims we checked that rest on their reporting

1 disputed3 true

From 367 reports we hold under this byline, at Suspilne. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →

L Le Figaro avec AFP Le Figaro

What the bias passes found in their reporting

Asserted, not attributed the capture of the strait and a "lightning offensive" are stated flat, with no source and no date×1

Asserted vs attributed The capture of the strait is stated flat, as settled background to a different story, with no source and no date for the claim.×1

Attacker identified by nationality in the headline; the other two reports do not give it×1

Attacker identified by nationality in the headline×1

Claims we checked that rest on their reporting

4 misleading8 disputed27 unverified22 true

From 3012 reports we hold under this byline, at Le Figaro. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating. Their full record →

The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting. · 3 reports we hold carry no byline — we do not invent one.

Coverage, outlet by outlet

The Jerusalem Post — independent

UAE president's senior advisor calls flydubai plane hijacking 'dangerous terrorist attack'

The only report with the UAE government's reaction: Gargash calls it a 'dangerous terrorist attack', but only in the headline. It also carries Netanyahu's '9/11' comparison.

The United Arab Emirate's president's diplomatic advisor, Anwar Gargash, said on Friday that the recent attempted hijacking of a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv was a "dangerous terrorist act."Gargash said this while praising the Indian pilot of the flight, Capt. Smit Machchhar, who fought back against his Omani co-pilot and helped allow passengers into the cockpit and rescue the plane."He embodied the meaning of courage and responsibility in the face of a dangerous terrorist act and a potential disaster," Gargash wrote in a post on X/Twitter.يستحق الطيار الهندي في "فلاي دبي" سميت ماتشهار كل التقد

Label in outlet's own voice: 'hijacking' is stated flat in the headline; 'terrorist attack' is put in quotes and attributed — “flydubai plane hijacking”

Stated flat: 'hijacking' appears in the outlet's own voice, and 'terrorist attack' is attributed — “UAE president's senior advisor calls flydubai plane hijacking 'dangerous terrorist attack'”

Whose voice is quoted: Netanyahu's comparison to 9/11 is carried, hedged with 'potential' — “characterized the hijacking as a potential "disaster on the scale of 9/11"”

Read it at The Jerusalem Post → https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-910411

Reuters — independent

Israeli officials to question co-pilot of flydubai flight, source says

Citing a source, says Israeli officials are to question the co-pilot. So he had not yet been questioned when this was published.

Read it at Reuters → https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-officials-question-co…

HotNews.ro — independent

Premierul Israelului avertizează în cazul atacatorului din avionul Flydubai: „Cine l-a trimis va plăti un preț foarte greu”

The only report with Netanyahu's claim of 'Islamist radicalisation', and his warning that whoever sent the attacker 'will pay a very heavy price'.

Premierul israelian Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit foto: Ronen Zvulun / UPI / Profimedia Actualitate Premierul Israelului avertizează în cazul atacatorului din avionul Flydubai: „Cine l-a trimis va plăti un preț foarte greu” Vladimir Ionescu Publicat 02.10.2026 17:13 · Actualizat 02.10.2026 17:39 Adaugă-ne ca sursă preferată în Google Urmărește-ne în Google Discover Premierul israelian Benjamin Netanyahu a declarat, vineri, că atacatorul care a încercat să prăbușească un avion Flydubai trecuse „printr-un proces de radicalizare islamistă”. Miercuri, copilotul unui zbor de la Dubai spre Tel Aviv a î

Motive attributed: the radicalisation motive is attributed to Netanyahu, not stated flat — “trecuse „printr-un proces de radicalizare islamistă””

Stated flat: the crash attempt and the stabbing are stated as fact, not attributed — “copilotul unui zbor de la Dubai spre Tel Aviv a încercat să prăbuşească avionul după ce l-a înjunghiat pe pilot”

Read it at HotNews.ro → https://hotnews.ro/premierul-israelului-avertizeaza-in-cazul-atacatorul…

S Suspilne — public-service

"Я знав, що літак падає": пілот FlyDubai розповів про напад на рейсі до Тель-Авіва

The only report that hears from the victim. The captain, Smit Machchar, describes the attack and what he did after he was wounded. Its headline quotes him: 'I knew the plane was falling'.

Пілот FlyDubai Сміт Маччхар, якого під час рейсу з Дубая до Тель-Авіва атакував другий пілот, розповів про перші хвилини після нападу. У розмові з прем'єр-міністром Індії Нарендрою Моді він заявив, що, попри тяжкі поранення, зміг відкрити двері кабіни, після чого пасажири та члени екіпажу втрутилися й допомогли зупинити нападника. Про це стало відомо з відео, яке опублікував прем'єр. Маччхар розповів, що під час нападу впав на підлогу й мав численні поранення. Водночас відчував, що літак стрімко втрачає висоту, і зрозумів, що має діяти. «Я боровся за своє життя. У якийсь момент зрозумів, що як

Victim named: the stabbed captain is named and given his own account; the co-pilot is named nowhere — “Капітан рейсу FlyDubai Дубай — Тель-Авів Сміт Маччхар”

Those hurt named: the wounded captain is named and given his own voice — “Капітан рейсу FlyDubai Дубай — Тель-Авів Сміт Маччхар”

Read it at Suspilne → https://suspilne.media/1418023-a-znav-so-litak-padae-pilot-flydubai-roz…

Le Figaro — independent

Vol Flydubai vers Tel-Aviv dérouté : les éventuels commanditaires de l’attaque paieront un «prix élevé», avertit Benyamin Netanyahou

Gives the flight number, 1073. Quotes Israeli authorities saying that only Israeli passengers prevented the crash, by overpowering the co-pilot and tying him up.

Israël cherche à savoir si la tentative présumée de faire s'écraser un avion de Flydubai mercredi a été commanditée et fera payer un «prix élevé» aux éventuels donneurs d'ordres, a déclaré vendredi le premier ministre Benyamin Netanyahou. «Plus le temps passe, plus la situation se précise: l'assaillant a subi une radicalisation islamiste. Il avait l'intention de faire s'écraser l'avion avec ses passagers», a déclaré Benyamin Netanyahou, en référence au copilote de l'avion accusé d'avoir poignardé le commandant de bord avant de diriger l'appareil vers le sol. «Nous vérifions dans le cadre de l'

No actor named: the headline says only that the flight was diverted; no attacker and no attack — “Vol Flydubai vers Tel-Aviv dérouté”

Credit attributed: credit to Israeli passengers is put in the Israeli authorities' mouths — “Les autorités israéliennes disent que seule l’intervention de passagers israéliens”

Label chosen: the headline uses the most neutral word, 'diverted' — “Vol Flydubai vers Tel-Aviv dérouté”

Read it at Le Figaro → https://www.lefigaro.fr/international/vol-flydubai-vers-tel-aviv-derout…

T The Insider — exile

Израиль начал вывозить пассажиров, застрявших в ОАЭ после попытки теракта на рейсе Flydubai

Israel has started flying home passengers stranded in the UAE after the attack.

Израиль начинает вывозить пассажиров, застрявших в ОАЭ после того, как Эмираты отменили все рейсы в Израиль, сообщает Associated Press. Авиасообщение прервалось после инцидента на борту Flydubai, летевшего из Дубая в Тель-Авив. Второй пилот напал на капитана и едва не разбил самолет со 182 людьми на борту. Первыми из Дубая вылетят Arkia и Israir, El Al заберет пассажиров 4 октября. Биньямин Нетаньяху заявил, что второй пилот, гражданин Омана, прошел «исламистскую радикальную индоктринацию», однако доказательств не привел. По словам премьера, Израиль выясняет, был ли нападавший кем-то послан. Д

Label in outlet's own voice: 'attempted terror attack' is stated flat in the headline, with no attribution — “после попытки теракта на рейсе Flydubai”

Stated flat: 'attempted terror attack' is written in the outlet's own voice — “после попытки теракта на рейсе Flydubai”

Read it at The Insider → https://theins.ru/news/297836

Checked, didn’t cover

International Criminal Court

UN News

Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story and carried nothing on this event.

We could not read these

International Court of Justice

These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and it is not evidence of anything about this story.

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Desks

Jerusalem Post says 'hijacking', The Insider 'attempted terror attack', Le Figaro only 'diverted' — and nobody we read names who sent the co-pilot

The story so far

What is being argued about

Hijacking, terror attack or diverted flight

Claims and verdicts

Who wrote it

Coverage, outlet by outlet