Bezalel Smotrich is an Israeli politician, a member of the Knesset and chairman of the Religious Zionism party. He has served as Israel's finance minister since 2022.
Case
Israeli officials say a flydubai pilot tried to crash flight FZ1073 on September 30, 2026. The airline says the motives are unknown and urges against speculation. As of that date, no investigating authority had reported findings on what happened in the flight deck.
Role at the time: Minister of Finance of Israel and chairman of the Religious Zionism party, in a post on X
Statement summary
In a Hebrew-language post on X at 10:06 UTC on September 30, 2026, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote that Israel must relate to the intention and not to the results. The Guardian's English translation says that "anyone who tried to bring down a plane and murder 180 Israelis should pay as though they had murdered them" and that the same should apply to "any country or terrorist organisation that sent them." The post also gives thanks for the rescue.
“anyone who tried to bring down a plane and murder 180 Israelis should pay as though they had murdered them – as should any country or terrorist organisation that sent them”
The case asks whether a pilot deliberately tried to crash FZ1073. Smotrich wrote as though the attempt were established ("anyone who tried to bring down a plane") and called for a penalty on that basis. We labeled it Condemned because it asserts the proposition. He cited no evidence for the attempt and did not say that anyone sent the suspect. His reference to a sending state or organization is conditional on someone having sent him.
Statement dates: September 30, 2026
Statement dates: September 30, 2026
Statement dates: September 30, 2026
