EgyptAir Pilot Posts Threatening Video Targeting El Al

An EgyptAir pilot, Osama Mansour, filmed an Israeli El Al passenger jet flying over Italy and posted the footage online with an aggressive soundtrack. The video included a quote from former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and violence for violence," with Mansour adding that this was just the beginning. The quote is from Sadat's remarks during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

The incident has raised security concerns within the aviation sector, especially following a recent near-disaster on a Flydubai flight from the UAE to Tel Aviv on September 30. On that flight, co-pilot Muhammad al-Khamami allegedly attacked the captain with an axe and plunged the aircraft over 5,000 meters before passengers and crew subdued him. The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

This event has amplified long-standing worries among Israeli intelligence agencies about the security of flights operated by foreign airlines. In May 2024, Israel's State Comptroller issued a report highlighting significant gaps in the inspection of foreign aircraft and called for a unified, stringent control system. The Shin Bet security service has also repeatedly warned the government about insufficient screening measures on flights from Persian Gulf countries, with the Shabak agency recently issuing multiple official warnings about inadequate filtering of foreign charter flights.

An internal investigation by the Ministry of Transport also revealed serious flaws in existing protocols. In response to these findings, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered an urgent review and tightening of all security regulations for foreign airlines operating flights to Israel.