Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories About Flydubai Hijacking Attempt Spread Rapidly Online

Antisemitic conspiracy theories falsely claiming an attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight was an Israeli "false flag" operation began spreading on X (formerly Twitter) within an hour of the incident. The research center for antisemitism (ARC), part of the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), found the first post documenting this narrative appeared just 67 minutes after the plane transmitted its distress signal. Similar false conspiracy theories have circulated regarding the 9/11 attacks.

Within five hours, ARC documented 1,000 hostile posts, and over a 12-hour monitoring period, identified 2,963 posts attributing the incident to Israel, the Mossad, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Zionists, or Jews. The analysis indicates the fabricated narrative rapidly dominated the online discourse surrounding the event.

ARC researchers suggest the speed of dissemination indicates the narrative was not a spontaneous reaction but a pre-prepared script activated opportunistically. The report notes similarities between this pattern of operation and influence operations conducted by hostile states, particularly Russia, aimed at destabilizing Western societies by exploiting breaking news, sowing division, and portraying Israel and Jews as a hidden force behind events.

Sacha Roytman, CEO of CAM, stated, "The dizzying speed with which the antisemitic plot was disseminated proves that this is not a spontaneous reaction to the event, but a seemingly pre-prepared script waiting in the wings for an opportune moment. It took only 67 minutes for inciters online 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."