"An eye for an eye": The Egyptian pilot's veiled threat after the plane hijacking

An Egyptian pilot from EgyptAir, Osama Mansour, published footage of an El Al plane over Italy accompanied by a threatening speech from Sadat. The video was released amid fears of plane hijackings following the attempted attack on a Flydubai flight. Security officials warn of deficiencies in the security of foreign flights to Israel.

A pilot for Egypt's national airline, EgyptAir, Osama Mansour, published footage showing an El Al plane flying over Italy. In the background, a segment of former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's 1973 speech is heard, stating: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and violence for violence." Comments on the video read "this is just the beginning." The publication comes amid heightened fears of plane hijackings, particularly after the attempted crash by the Omani co-pilot on a Flydubai flight on September 30, who attacked the captain with an axe and caused a dive of 5,200 meters before passengers subdued him. The incident raised questions about the security of foreign flights to Israel, with a May 2024 State Comptroller report and documents from the Shin Bet and the National Security Council warning of security gaps. Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered a review of foreign civil aviation security aspects.