What did Robert Pape say about the co-pilot attack on the Dubai to Tel Aviv flight?

Robert Pape believes the co-pilot who attacked the pilot with a cockpit axe on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was most likely attempting a suicide attack on Tel Aviv. The plane carried about 170 people, roughly 100 of them Israelis, and the attack came about 30 minutes from Tel Aviv. Pape, who says he has studied 8,000 suicide attacks, argues that someone seeking only his own death would have acted soon after take-off, and puts his confidence at about 90%. He calls it an inspired attack rather than one directed by Iran.

• The pilot said the first officer asked to pray before striking him, which Pape reads as a common pre-attack ritual.
• A passenger with pilot training landed the plane after others restrained the co-pilot.
• Pape contrasts it with the Houthi missile strikes on Riyadh airport, which he calls a command-directed attack on civilians.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett (2026-11-05). Read the whole episode summary →

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