Former Mossad official Rami Igra breaks down Israel’s response to Flydubai hijacking

Rami Igra, a veteran former Mossad official who served in Israel’s spy agency for several decades, joins Ariel Oseran On The Record.

Igra lays out the first moves that would have been taken after the hijacking occurred, particularly the choice of whether to scramble jets or contact Emirati security officials.

The first people to be contacted would be "The chief of staff, the head of the Mossad, the Prime Minister’s Office, the head of Shin Bet. All of these people would be informed, but none of them had any possibility to do anything," he said.

He went on to explain explaining that at that moment they would have only had one choice to make,whether to bring down the plane or wait and find another solution.

Igra laid out that the first steps after the plane had landed would involve the Mossad contacting Saudi Arabia and attempting to participate in the interrogation of the hijacking co-pilot.

Igra put the attempt in context, saying, "The Middle East is suffering from a religious war. The war between us and the Arab world where it exists is a religious war. And here we have a devout Muslim who would see such an act as the way to heaven. This is the path to heaven, you will become a shaheed.This is not the first case; this is happening all the time."

"You should understand that the countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, are very worried about the possibility that they would develop in their midst other martyrs who would try to do things like this in the Kingdom. Religion in the Gulf states and in Saudi Arabia is a hidden enemy of the regime."

Igra said that we shouldn't read too much into Saudi Arabia's medical support for the passengers, pointing to Saudi Arabia’s refusal to allow Israeli planes to retrieve the stranded passengers.

He then said that regardless of whether Israeli interrogators will be allowed into the room, Israel will be able to pose questions through US intervention.

Igra restated that he believes the hijacker was working alone but that if he is found to have been working with others there will be serious repercussions in the region.

Igra then pointed out that this was one of the only times in history that a member of the crew had been involved in hijacking a plane and that as a result most pilots were not subject to the security screenings that passengers are subjected to.

When asked whether the security warning given by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier was connected, Igra was dismissive, saying, "Netanyahu is a credit seeker. He is looking for some credit. So he found a possibility for credit. And here he is. I wouldn't take him seriously. Like I wouldn't take his defense minister seriously. The politicians are uttering political statements that might get them some votes."