Lappi Denies Security Briefing Mentioned Dubai Air Incident

Opposition leader Yair Lapid stated on Wednesday that the security briefing he received from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not include any mention of an incident involving a Flydubai flight from the UAE to Israel, which made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The aircraft reportedly experienced an emergency after the co-pilot allegedly attacked the pilot and attempted to crash the plane.

Lapid clarified that "nothing even similar to this morning's plane incident appeared in the security update with the Prime Minister yesterday. Not similar, not mentioned, not even hinted at." He criticized what he called Netanyahu's attempts to link the incident to his earlier warnings about potential attacks on Israel before the upcoming elections, labeling it "cheap politics at the expense of Israel's security."

The opposition leader had met with Netanyahu the previous night for a security update following an unusual warning from the Prime Minister about possible pre-election attacks by Israel's enemies. Lapid had requested the meeting to understand the threat landscape and preparations for the elections.

Following that meeting, Lapid had stated he would not reveal the briefing's content but criticized Netanyahu's public presentation of the threat. Lapid asserted that security threats should be handled professionally and responsibly, not as props for election videos, and that updates should come from professional bodies like the IDF and Shin Bet, not a politician's social media account.

Lapid also drew a parallel to the controversy surrounding the conscription of Haredi men, suggesting that if Netanyahu were truly concerned about security, he should focus on enlisting the 15,000 Haredi men needed by the IDF. He further demanded a four-way meeting with Netanyahu, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, and Central Elections Committee Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg to coordinate election day preparations.