Israeli Society's Rapid Shift From 'What's Happening?' to 'What To Do?'

An incident aboard a Flydubai flight, where a co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain and attempted to crash the plane, has prompted reflection on how Israelis process information and react to crises. The news of the attempted hijacking reached passengers on a subsequent flight before they landed, drawing parallels to the events of September 11, 2001. While the Flydubai flight was ultimately secured by passengers and crew, averting disaster, the author notes a distinct Israeli tendency to quickly transition from seeking information ('What's happening?') to taking action ('What to do?').

This rapid shift is attributed to a lifetime of living in a country where emergencies can erupt suddenly, from air raid sirens interrupting meals to routine life changing in minutes. This constant exposure, the article suggests, fosters an almost intimate familiarity with the abrupt transition from normalcy to crisis, enabling a swift move from helplessness to situational assessment.

The author contrasts this with the passengers on United Flight 93 on September 11, who, upon learning about the attacks on the Twin Towers, understood their plane could be a weapon and decided to fight back. While the Flydubai incident did not involve a direct threat to the author's flight, the external information about the preceding plane's crisis altered passengers' perception of their surroundings, making them more vigilant.

The article concludes that this is not necessarily heroism or fearlessness, but rather a form of adaptation. The author, returning from Dubai on a later flight, experienced this firsthand when friends and family inquired if she was on the plane involved in the incident, highlighting how quickly a normal flight can become something entirely different.