Nahost: Nach Notlandung: Wie die Gewalttat den israelischen Wahlkampf prägen könnte
Auf einem Flug von Dubai nach Tel Aviv sticht der Co-Pilot auf den Kapitän ein. Die Maschine muss notlanden. Politisch trifft die Tat kurz vor den Wahlen in Israel auf eine aufgeheizte Lage.
Tel Aviv - As the replacement aircraft finally arrived in Tel Aviv late Wednesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu awaited him at the airport. "You are the hero," he declared, shaking the hand of one of the passengers. Yaniv Hayun's white shirt was still stained with blood. He was among the passengers who overpowered the co-pilot after the pilot allegedly attacked the co-pilot before allegedly attempting to crash the plane.
"How did you manage that?" Netanyahu inquired. Yaniv responded, "Are we not the nation of lions?" Shortly after, Netanyahu released a video of the meeting on his social media channels. Every time Israelis suspect an attack, the entire country holds its breath. Terrorists have hijacked Israeli planes and used hostages for extortion in the past, a lesson Netanyahu knows all too well.
His brother Jonatan Netanyahu, an officer in a special unit, was killed fifty years ago while liberating a hijacked aircraft in Uganda. However, just under a month before a parliamentary election that could end Netanyahu's tenure, such a violent act is inevitably politically charged.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
