A plane carrying 12 Israelis on a flight from Dubai to Singapore on Wednesday unexpectedly landed in Malaysia, a country with which Israel has no diplomatic relations.
EMIRATES FLIGHT LANDS IN MALAYSIA WITH 12 ISRAELIS ON BOARD
(ILTV)
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"I thought I was the only Israeli on the flight and was nervous but mostly concerned for my parents at home that I feared would be worried," one of the Israeli passengers said. When another Israeli made himself known to me and told me he was traveling with his family, I felt better."
After receiving the report, the Foreign Ministry quickly implemented emergency procedures and coordinated with the airline to get in touch with one of the Israeli passengers to confirm their safety.
Israel appealed to the UAE airline asking that passengers remain on the aircraft to protect the Israelis among them.
The Emirates flight had to make an unscheduled stop in Malaysia due to inclement weather. "During their stay on Malaysian soil, the passengers were not required to disembark, and after approximately five hours of waiting on the tarmac, the flight resumed its journey to Singapore," stated the ministry.
In response, Emirates Airlines stated, "Adverse weather conditions over East Asia forced the diversion of flight EK354 (Dubai-Singapore) to Kuala Lumpur. We regret any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers is our top priority."
Malaysia is considered a hostile country toward Israel, barring entry to Israeli citizens. Additionally, this Muslim-majority nation has gained notoriety as a hub for providing training and logistical support to operatives of the Hamas terror group.
In recent years, Israel's Shin Bet has uncovered numerous instances where Hamas militants received military training in Malaysia, often with the tacit approval of Malaysian authorities.