EgyptAir Pilot Posts Threatening Video Targeting El Al Aircraft Over Italy
An EgyptAir pilot posted a threatening video featuring an El Al plane and Anwar Sadat's speech. The incident follows a foiled hijacking attempt on a flydubai flight, raising serious aviation security concerns.
An EgyptAir pilot, Osama Mansour, published a video showing an El Al aircraft flying over Italy. The video background features a speech by former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat stating, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and violence for violence," accompanied by the comment, "This is just the beginning."
The publication comes amid heightened concerns over flight hijackings, following an attempted crash of a flydubai flight en route to Ben Gurion Airport. On September 30, co-pilot Mamoun al-Hamami attacked the captain with an axe and caused the aircraft to dive before passengers and crew subdued him, leading to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
The severe incident renewed concerns regarding foreign airline security for flights heading to Israel. A State Comptroller report from May 2024 previously highlighted security gaps among foreign carriers, while the Shin Bet and the NSC recently warned about inadequate inspections on chartered flights, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order a thorough review of civil aviation security.
