Imagine a passenger plane flying high in the sky suddenly plunging nearly 17,000 feet. Passengers begin praying, feeling their end is near, when suddenly the cockpit door opens. Inside, one brave pilot is bleeding while another attacks him. Panic ensues until a few passengers risk their lives to enter the cockpit, subdue the attacker, and help land the plane safely. This sounds straight out of a Hollywood action movie, but something very similar actually happened on September 30 aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Indian captain Smith Machar was attacked by co-pilot Hammam Al-Hamami in an attempt to crash the aircraft. Although the situation was successfully contained, the sheer bizarreness of the event triggered a massive wave of conspiracy theories across social media. Many online users began claiming that the incident never actually happened and was instead a staged 'false flag operation' orchestrated by Israel's intelligence agency.
The Rise of 'Bibiwood' and Fabricated Narratives
Some users dubbed the incident a production of 'Bibiwood', mocking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his nickname 'Bibi'. Across platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram, numerous posts suggested that the incident was fabricated to divert attention from the Gaza war or to garner international sympathy. According to the Combat Antisemitism Movement's (CAM) Antisemitism Research Center, the first conspiracy theory post appeared just 67 minutes after the plane sent its first distress signal.
Within 12 hours, nearly 3,000 hateful or conspiratorial posts accumulated millions of views. Researchers noted that the unprecedented speed of these posts strongly indicated the use of automated bot networks designed to manipulate online discourse and spread disinformation rapidly.
Experts Warn Against Unchecked Disinformation
AI and media experts point out that when extraordinary events occur that are difficult to comprehend, bad actors often exploit existing biases to blame marginalized groups or traditional scapegoats like Jewish communities. The incident highlights the growing challenge digital platforms face in moderating content while balancing open speech policies against coordinated state-backed or bot-driven propaganda.
'The Freelance' does not independently verify the claims made in viral social media videos. This content has been widely discussed across digital platforms. Video Credit: Respective Social Media Handles / Creators.
