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PaperclipPerfector  12d ago (text post)   773 thread views

Transnational Thursday for October 1, 2026

Transnational Thursday is a thread for people to discuss international news, foreign policy or international relations history. Feel free as well to drop in with coverage of countries you’re interested in, talk about ongoing dynamics like the wars in Israel or Ukraine, or even just whatever you’re reading.

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I'm surprised no one's talking about yesterday's attempted plane hijacking in the Middle East. Via the BBC:

A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after one pilot stabbed the other and “apparently tried to crash the plane”, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

The pilot was arrested and is being questioned by Saudi authorities, Netanyahu added.

The stabbed pilot, identified as Indian national Capt Smit Machchhar, was taken to hospital after the flight landed and later called a “hero” by the Israeli prime minister.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has called the incident an “attempted jihadist terror attack”. The BBC is yet to receive official statements from police, emergency services, or investigators regarding any motive.

Apparently the stabbed pilot managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to storm inside and seize the would-be hijacker (the passengers obviously being alarmed by the plane plummeting 14,000 feet in 30 seconds). One passenger managed to take over the controls and land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia. I've heard unconfirmed reports that Saudi Arabia initially refused to let the plane land within its borders and instructed the pilot to land in Jordan, before finally relenting.

Western media outlets are variously referring to the incident as an "altercation", "fight" or "brawl" between pilots, rather than as a foiled act of jidahi terrorism.

Only luck and heroism prevented the deaths of 174 people.

Luck with where the stab wound appeared to be. Luck that there was a pilot among the passengers who could land the plane. Heroism from the stabbed co-pilot and some passengers.

Some people are trying to call this act of terrorism fake news or a false flag operation.

The amount of antisemitism and Muslim sympathies that are allowed to flourish these days, makes me a bit worried.

The amount of antisemitism and Muslim sympathies that are allowed to flourish these days, makes me a bit worried.

The central principle of social justice is that a light-skinned global minority secretly control everything, especially the financial system, and conspire to create the world's evil. Anyone who didn't see where this was going back around 2010 wasn't paying very much attention.

Panics always spread and they always take the easy target, you know?

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