Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks, the legacy of Flight 93 lives on. Israeli passengers and Emirati crew members fought off an apparent hijacking attempt of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. They landed the commercial jet in Saudi Arabia and saved some 180 lives.
Call it the Abraham Accords in action.\n\nThe hijacker appears to have been the Omani co-pilot, who stabbed his fellow pilot, Smit Machchhar of India, and took control of the aircraft. In 30 seconds the plane fell more than 14,000 feet. An Israeli passenger, Yaniv Hayun, and a crew member broke into the cockpit. Mr. Hayun put the terrorist in a choke hold and worked with others to throw him out.
With the pilot removed, Mr. Hayun took the controls. “I pulled the yoke backward,” he recounted to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.\n\nThe flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where the Israelis were treated. Though the Omani co-pilot is believed to have acted alone, Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s top national security adviser, threatened the U.A.E. after the hijacking. Flydubai flew to and from Israel through dangerous periods of the post-Oct. 7, 2023 war.\n\nOne way of viewing the hijacking is as an attack on that route and the Abraham Accords behind it.
It failed and, other than vigilance, the best response will be more flights, tourism, diplomacy and commerce. The threat from Islamic terrorism isn’t over.
Source: Wall Street Journal US Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing