Conspiracy Theories Blame Israel for Flydubai Hijacking Attempt

Anti-Semitic conspiracy theories alleging Israel staged a "false flag" operation to hijack a Flydubai flight en route to Tel Aviv began spreading on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the incident. The Research Center for Antisemitism, part of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, documented the first post on the matter just 67 minutes after the plane issued its distress signal. This rapid dissemination mirrors false narratives spread after the 9/11 attacks.

Researchers tracked the swift spread of the false narrative, identifying 1,000 hostile posts within five hours. Over a 12-hour monitoring period, 2,963 posts were identified that attributed the incident to Israel, the Mossad, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Zionists, or Jews.

The report suggests this pattern closely resembles influence operations conducted by hostile states, particularly Russia, aimed at destabilizing Western societies. This tactic exploits breaking news events to sow division and portray Israel as the hidden hand behind them.

"The dizzying speed at which the anti-Semitic conspiracy was disseminated proves that this was not a spontaneous reaction to the event, but rather a seemingly pre-prepared script waiting in the wings for an opportunity," concluded Sasha Rxcitman, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement. "It took only 67 minutes for online inciters to turn a serious terrorist hijacking attempt of a civilian passenger plane into a conspiratorial accusation against Israel and Jews. Antisemitism has become the automatic explanation mechanism for every emergency event in the world, and platforms must take immediate responsibility and stop this dissemination."