From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Ben Gvir demands extradition of Omani flydubai copilot accused of trying to crash plane
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says he will demand that the security cabinet push for the extradition to Israel of the flydubai copilot accused of attempting to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flight carrying some 170 Israelis yesterday.
Ben Gvir says he will call on the Justice Ministry and relevant diplomatic officials to “use all means available” to extradite the suspect and prosecute him in Israel.
“Someone who planned to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis should be extradited to Israel and pay the heaviest price here,” he says. “Anyone who tries to murder or harm Israelis will be pursued by the State of Israel and held to account anywhere in the world.”
Neither Saudi Arabia, where the plane was diverted and the alleged assailant is being held, nor Oman, the pilot’s home country, has diplomatic relations with Israel, potentially complicating any effort to extradite him directly.
Israel does have diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, though the two countries do not have a bilateral extradition treaty. The UAE is expected to take custody of the suspect after Saudi Arabia completes its initial investigation.
The Times of Israel Community.