National Post
· collected 2026-10-08 · by Special to National Post
analysis
Alan Kessel critiques Foreign Minister Anita Anand's statement regarding an attack on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, where an Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the Indian captain and injured several others before being subdued by passengers. The incident occurred on September 30, involving 174 passengers primarily bound for Israel. Kessel argues that Anand’s statement omitted critical terms like "attack," "stabbing," "terrorism," and "Jews," which he claims are significant given the high number of Israeli passengers aboard and evidence suggesting possible Islamist motives.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
There are moments when a government reveals more by what it does not say than by what it does.
asserted
it → be → what
For Foreign Minister Anita Anand, that moment came last week after what happened aboard Flydubai Flight 1073.
asserted
what → come → Flight
The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Sept. 30 with 174 passengers onboard.
asserted
flight → travel → passengers
During the flight, the Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar.
uncertain
pilot → attack → captain
The aircraft then plunged nearly 5,000 metres in just over 30 seconds.
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aircraft → plunge → seconds
The wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door.
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captain → manage → door
Passengers intervened, the attacker was subdued and other pilots aboard the aircraft took control and eventually landed safely in Saudi Arabia.
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pilots → intervene → Arabia
Instead, because people acted, everyone aboard survived.
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everyone → act → ?
Machchhar has rightly been hailed as a hero.
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Machchhar → hail → hero
Despite his injuries, he helped open the cockpit door and give the passengers an opportunity to intervene.
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he → help → opportunity
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised his courage.
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Modi → praise → courage
The passengers who stepped in deserve the same recognition.
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who → step → recognition
So what did Canada’s foreign minister have to say?
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minister → have → what
Anand expressed concern about the “incident” aboard a Flydubai flight “bound for Israel.”
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Anand → express → Israel
She spoke about the safety of “air passengers,” said she was relieved that everyone was safe and commended the “swift action and courage of those on board.”
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everyone → speak → board
But something was missing.
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something → miss → ?
The word “attack” was missing.
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attack → miss → ?
An apparent attempt to take control of a passenger aircraft and potentially bring it down is not simply an “incident.”
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attempt → take → it
The United Arab Emirates has launched an investigation into whether the episode was linked to “terrorist activity or intent.”
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episode → launch → activity
A substantial part of my career involved International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-related issues.
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part → involve → issues
More recently, I was involved in Canada’s response to the destruction of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 by Iran over Tehran.
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I → involve → Tehran
All 176 people aboard were killed, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 Canadian permanent residents.
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people → kill → citizens
Canada has pursued accountability for PS752 victims through international legal and diplomatic channels, including at the ICAO and the International Court of Justice.
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Canada → pursue → Justice
Words matter in these cases.
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Words → matter → cases
They matter because they describe what happened, identify who was responsible and, ultimately, help determine what accountability should look like.
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accountability → matter → what
The Flydubai flight was carrying a large majority of Israeli passengers.
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flight → carry → passengers
The U.A.E. is investigating possible terrorist intent, while Israeli officials have said there is evidence pointing to Islamist radicalization and a possible motive to kill Jews.
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officials → investigate → Jews
If the investigation establishes that the passengers were targeted because they were Israeli or Jewish, their identity will not be some incidental detail.
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identity → establish → ?
And yet Canada’s foreign minister managed to describe the event without mentioning the Israeli passengers or Jews.
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minister → manage → passengers
This is not simply about one poorly chosen word.
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This → choose → word
It fits an increasingly familiar pattern.
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It → fit → pattern
The federal government tells Jewish-Canadians that it takes antisemitism seriously.
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it → tell → antisemitism
We have government strategies, special envoys, parliamentary statements and repeated declarations about the threat of Jew-hatred.
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We → have → hatred
But the real test is what the government says when Jews are actually the intended victims of violence.
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Jews → say → violence
But that distinction cannot become an excuse for failing to recognize antisemitism when it is staring us in the face.
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it → become → face
If someone attacks Israelis because they are Israelis, that is anti-Israel hatred.
asserted
that → attack → Israelis
And if the evidence establishes that Jews were targeted because they were Jews, it is antisemitism.
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it → establish → ?
The Canadian government should be able to make that distinction without hesitation.
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government → make → hesitation
There was also something deeply human about what happened aboard Flight 1073 that should not be lost.
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that → be → Flight
An Indian pilot was attacked.
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pilot → attack → ?
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
