Would-be El Al hijacker arrested

A man suspected of hijacking an El Al jet, Taufik Fukra, was arrested by the Shabak and the Police Unit for International Crime on Wednesday.

The suspect, a resident of the Northern Arab-Israeli town of Buayna is suspected of planning the attack three years ago. He returned to Israel from Turkey, where he was tried for the attempted hijacking, and released on bail.

On November 17 2002, Fukra boarded an El Al flight to Istanbul, and requested to sit in the front of the plane, near the business section. Half an hour before landing in turkey, Furak attacked an air stewardess, and attempted to take her hostage with a knife hidden his belt buckle.

The stewardess managed to escape his grip, and pressed a panic button. She reported the attack to the plane's cabinet. At the same time, Fukra began advancing towards the pilot's cockpit, but was intercepted by two security guards, who stopped the hijacking attempt.

After the plane landed in Turkey, Fukra was arrested by local security forces and tried.

During the trial, Fukra described in detail the meticulous planning that he undertook before the hijacking attempt – including an assessment of Tel Aviv's skyscrapers, and collecting date on plane navigation from the internet.

He also told the court how he deceived Ben Gurion Airport's security system.

The Turkish court released Fukra on bail, on the condition that he does not attempt to leave the country.

Fukra then flew to Jordan on a Portuguese airliner, following the refusal of Israeli and Turkish airlines to fly him on their planes.

Fukra's lawyer, Riad al-anis, said that "was rotting Istanbul's airports," while waiting for a plane that would take him to Israel.

The State Prosecutor, Israel police, and the Shabak reached a joint decision to immediately arrest Fukra upon his arrival.