Flydubai attack survivors say Israeli government has left them high and dry

Passengers from the September 30 flydubai flight whose copilot tried to crash the plane say Israeli authorities have offered no coordinated help in the weeks since, leaving them to arrange trauma care privately. The National Insurance Institute says it cannot assist until the Defense Ministry qualifies the incident as a "hostile action"; the Defense Ministry says it is awaiting investigators' findings.

Nearly a month after a copilot on flydubai Flight FZ1073 attacked the captain and tried to crash the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, passengers say Israeli authorities have offered them no coordinated help in dealing with the psychological aftermath. "Unfortunately, Israeli authorities have done zero as far as reaching out to people or helping," passenger Daniel Schlichter told The Times of Israel. "We are completely alone," said Almog Italie, who was on the flight with his wife and two teenage children. On September 30, the aircraft plunged thousands of feet before several passengers intervened to subdue the attacker. Two off-duty pilots aboard helped regain control and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia; a replacement aircraft later returned the passengers to Tel Aviv. Italie said the absence of state support is especially troubling given the lasting trauma. "The trauma and the post-trauma are here, and they have to be treated," he said. "But unfortunately, the authorities are not cooperating with us." Schlichter, 59, who was returning from a vacation in Japan with his wife, said many passengers still cannot return to work or school, and the group remains in close contact after exchanging details during the stopover in Saudi Arabia. Many have turned to private psychological counseling. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted some survivors at Ben Gurion Airport on their return, including Yaniv Hayun, who helped subdue the attacker, and Magen David Adom teams were on standby. Schlichter said that attention did not become meaningful support: "After one, two, three days, or a few days after, then they disappear and no help is coming whatsoever." A Ministry of Welfare and Social Security spokesperson said the ministry was not responsible for the passengers and pointed to other ministries. A National Insurance Institute spokesperson said the agency cannot assist survivors until the Defense Ministry officially qualifies the incident as a "hostile action"; the Defense Ministry said it is still awaiting information from investigating authorities. Italie drew parallels with the government's handling of the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught.