Lapid, Smotrich, Ben-Gvir Clash Over Dubai Flight Incident

Opposition leader Yair Lapid on Tuesday refuted claims that a security briefing he received from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday night included information similar to the averted hijacking of a Flydubai plane. Lapid stated that no such event, not even remotely, was mentioned during the briefing. He accused Netanyahu's government of engaging in "cheap politics" at the expense of Israel's security, calling them "irresponsible."

This statement followed Lapid's remarks from the previous evening, after the security update, where he said security forces were prepared for elections and there was no reason to cause public panic. A "political source" countered Lapid, asserting that the Military Secretary had informed him of a significant increase in overseas Palestinian attacks, the likes of which hadn't been seen in years. Lapid retorted that this "irresponsible political source" was lying, clarifying that the warning about overseas activity was specific, had existed for over two years, and was unrelated to aircraft incidents. He accused the source of exploiting the bravery of Israelis who prevented a disaster he claimed the government was unprepared for.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also a member of the Security Cabinet, declared that Israel must act based on intent, not just outcomes. He argued that anyone attempting to crash a plane and murder 180 Israelis should face consequences as if they had succeeded, along with any state or terror group responsible. He thanked God for the rescue but stressed Israel's duty to pursue and destroy its enemies.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, also in the Security Cabinet, thanked God and the heroic passengers but insisted Israel's security concept must evolve. He criticized a "naive" perception that enemies desire peace, stating the incident served as a reminder that terrorists must be decisively defeated. Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity party, praised the passengers' bravery, drawing parallels to the October 7th attacks where civilian heroism compensated for state failures. He condemned the government's attempts to politicize the incident.

Avigdor Lieberman, head of Yisrael Beiteinu, expressed relief that the incident concluded safely and commended the passengers for their actions under extreme duress. He called attempts to leverage the near-hijacking for political gain "disgraceful."

Shas party leader Aryeh Deri, an observer in the Security Cabinet, did not comment directly but was seen reciting Psalms for the safe return of the plane. Upon its landing in Saudi Arabia, he published Psalm 5 from the Book of Psalms as a thanksgiving.