Former Israeli PM THANKS Saudi authorities after cockpit attack

>> Harris: THE FLIGHT HAS LANDED. THAT WAS CARRYING PASSENGERS WHO. WERE ORIGINALLY ABOARD THE PLANE. WHERE ONE PILOT STABBED ANOTHER. ONE TODAY AND, OF COURSE, THAT. SPARKED CONCERNS OF TERRORISM. AND HIJACKING. IT WAS ISRAEL BOUND ORIGINALLY. FROM DUBAI. IT HAD TO BE DIVERTED DURING. FLIGHT OVER THAT VIOLENT. INCIDENT AND LAND IN SAUDI.

ARABIA. THAT FLIGHT ABOUT 45 TO 50. MINUTES IN THE AIR. MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER, NOW IT. HAS LANDED AT BEN GURION AIRPORT. IN TEL AVIV. WE'RE AWAITING THOSE PASSENGERS. TO GET OFF THE PLANE. SOME OF THEM WILL BE WITNESSES, THEY ARE ALL SURVIVORS BECAUSE. AS MY JERUSALEM POST JOURNALIST. GUEST SAID, A MIRACLE HAPPENED. THAT HAD STAND BY FLIGHT CREW.

HELPED LAND THAT PLANE THAT HAD. ALREADY PITCHED 16,000 FEET. IT WAS IN A NOSE-DIVE. A MIRACLE TODAY. THEY ARE BACK ON THE GROUND. BRAND-NEW VIDEO OUT OF ISRAEL. NOW. PARAMEDICS ARE STANDING BY AT. THAT AIRPORT AS WE JUST SAW. WAITING FOR PASSENGERS, AGAIN. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I WANT TO. BRING IN FOCUS NOW FORMER. PRESIDENT NEFTALI BENNETT. A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS I JUST. MENTIONED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS.

NEXT IN ALL OF THIS. LET'S START THERE. FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME TO THE. PROGRAM. THIS BREAKING NEWS STORY STARTED. OUT WITH A LOT OF CONFUSION. ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ABOARD THAT. FLIGHT. AS IT IS COMING IN CLEAR IT. REALLY WAS A MIRACLE. ONE PILOT STABBING ANOTHER. THERE HAPPENED TO BE THOSE ON. THE PLANE WHO COULD ACTUALLY. LAND IT. I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ON WHAT. TRANSPIRED THAT YOU CAN TELL US. >> WELL, IT'S NOT A MIRACLE, IT. IS CALLED HEROISM AND WHAT. HAPPENED HERE WAS INDEED BASED.

ON WHAT ISRAELI AUTHORITIES SAY. THE CO-PILOT ATTACKED THE PILOT. AND TRIED TO BRING DOWN THE. PLANE AND THE PLANE NOSE-DIVED. AND THEN A COUPLE OF PASSENGERS, ISRAELI CITIZENS, JUMPED INTO. THE COCKPIT, THEY TOOK OVER THE. ALLEGED TERRORIST, PULLED HIM. OUT AND THEY WENT IN THE SECOND.

CREW THAT WAS STAND BY, THE MAIN. PILOT WAS ALSO HURT, SO HE IS. INJURED, BUT THEN THE SECOND. CREW CAME IN AND INDEED LANDED. THE PLANE IN SAUDI ARABIA. WE HAVE TO THANK THE SAUDI. AUTHORITIES FOR ALLOWING THE. PLANE TO LAND AND FOR TAKING. CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHILE THEY. WERE ON GROUND AND THE GOOD NEWS. NOW IS THAT IT SEEMS THAT. EVERYONE IS BACK HOME HERE IN. ISRAEL. >> Harris: SOME CHOSE NOT TO. TAKE THIS FLIGHT BACK. THEY WANTED TO BE ON A DIFFERENT.

AIRLINE. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THE. PASSENGERS MADE THAT CHOICE BUT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE BULK OF. THEM WILL BE COME BACK TO ISRAEL. TODAY. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IN TERMS OF. THE SECURITY? IN 2021, 2022, YOU WERE PRIME. MINISTER OF ISRAEL. AND AS WE TAKE A LOOK NOW ON THE. TARMAC AS IT LANDED THERE, I. WANT TO KNOW FROM YOU WHAT. REALLY HAPPENS WITH SECURITY. NOW? >> WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE TO.

QUICKLY INVESTIGATE EXACTLY WHAT. HAPPENED. WE WILL HAVE TO REVAMP AND LOOK. AT ALL THE INCOMING AND OUTGOING. FLIGHTS FROM ISRAEL AND IMPROVE. AND UPGRADE THE SECURITY, INCLUDING VETTING IN A MUCH MORE. EFFECTIVE WAY THE PILOTS OF ALL. THE FOREIGN AIR SERVICES BEYOND. THE ISRAELI AIR SERVICES WHERE. WE VET THEM. WE WILL HAVE TO INVESTIGATE AND. IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENT THESE.

IMPROVEMENTS SO IT IS SAFE AND. SECURE TO COME AND GO FROM. ISRAEL. >> Harris: AND A WIDER CONCERN. AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T KNOW. WHAT THIS IS YET. THE FOREIGN MINISTER KATZ SAYS. HE FEELS LIKE IT IS POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, A SITUATION BROUGHT ON. BY TERRORISTS, JIHADIST. TERRORISTS WERE HIS WORDS. >> WELL, THESE ARE THE CURRENT. ASSESSMENTS OF ISRAELI. AUTHORITIES BUT WE HAVE TO.

INVESTIGATE THIS BEFORE WE GO. AND DETERMINE EXACTLY WHO STANDS. BEHIND IT. AT THIS MOMENT WE DON'T KNOW WHO. STANDS BEHIND THIS ATTACK. >> Harris: I WANT TO LISTEN NOW. TO THIS IS BRAND-NEW FROM A. PASSENGER WHO WAS ACTUALLY ON. THAT PLANE THAT HAD THAT. STABBING AMONG THE PILOTS. LET'S WATCH. >> THE FLIGHT CREW FROM DUBAI. WAS CALM. THE FIRST TWO HOURS AND WHEN WE.

JUST NEAR THE BORDER THERE WAS A. MASSIVE TURBULENCE FOR 20. SECONDS. AND THEN ONCE AGAIN --. [INAUDIBLE] THEN IN THE FRONT. THERE WAS MANY PEOPLE RUSHING. AND THE ONE PILOT STABBED THE. OTHER AND CREW MEMBERS AND.

PASSENGERS GAINED CONTROL AND. THE THEY MANAGED TO TAKE THE. PILOT AND THEY TOOK US TO. SAFETY. WE HAD A VERY HUGE WELCOME. THEY TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING. MEDICAL TEAM AND FOOD AND. WHATEVER. PEOPLE WERE VERY CALM.

AND NOW WE ARE ON THE WAY BACK. TO TEL AVIV. >> Harris: THEY'RE ALREADY ON. THE PLANE WAITING THE TAKE OFF. THE PLANE HAS SINCE LANDED. PRIME MINISTER BENNETT, WHAT IS. YOUR FIRST REACTION TO THAT AND. ALSO JUST MAYBE A WIDER COMMENT. THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR THE. PEOPLE OF ISRAEL NOW. THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING THIS. BUT THEIR RELATIVES AND FRIENDS. ARE ON THAT FLIGHT COMING HOME. >> I SPOKE TO A BUNCH OF.

PASSENGERS. SOME WERE MY FORMER EMPLOYEES IN. MY COMPANY AND I SPOKE TO THEM. THIS WAS SO CLOSE TO BEING A. DISASTER WITH 180 KILLED PEOPLE. AND THIS IS NOT A MIRACLE. THIS IS A RESULT OF HEROISM OF. THE ISRAELI PASSENGERS A AND OF. THE EMIRATI CREW. SO IT IS PEOPLE WHO SAVED THE. DAY. PEOPLE WHO SHOWED COURAGE, WHO. DIDN'T STAND PASSIVELY BUT TOOK.

ACTION. I'M SO DARN PROUD TO BE ISRAELI. TODAY. >> Harris: PRIME MINISTER. BENNETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR. BEING WITH ME AND AT THIS MOMENT. WE AWAIT THEM COMING OFF THAT. PLANE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> Harris: I WANT TO BRING IN. MIKE NELSON FORMER ARMY SPECIAL. FORCES OFFICER AND MICHAEL ALLEN. FROM THE NATIONAL SECURITY. COUNCIL UNDER GEORGE W. BUSH.

I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS. MOMENT, MICHAEL ALLEN. I WILL BE SPECIFIC. MICHAEL, JUST REACT AND MAYBE. SET IT UP FOR US WHAT WE WOULD. BE DOING HERE AT HOME TAKING A. LOOK AT THIS SITUATION. >> WELL, I THINK COUNTER. TERRORISM ANALYSTS FROM. WASHINGTON TO TEL AVIV ARE. GETTING THIS INDIVIDUAL'S NAME, RUNNING IT AGAINST DATABASES. THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS. HE A LONE WOLF. SOMEONE WHO WAS SELF-RADICALIZED.

ON THE INTERNET OR IMAGES FROM. THE MIDDLE EAST OR MORE. IMPORTANTLY REALLY IS HE PART OF. A NETWORK OF TERRORISTS. IF SO, WHICH ONE? AND WHAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. I THINK FOR ANALYSTS AND. INTELLIGENCE OPERATORS ACROSS. THE GLOBE IS TO GET INTO THAT. PILOT'S COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES. WHO HAS HE BEEN COMMUNICATING. WITH ONLINE? WE HAVE TO GET INTO HIS. COMPUTER. THEY WANT TO RUN HIS NAME AND. ALL OF HIS CONTACTS THROUGH THE.

EXTENSIVE DATABASES THAT WE HAVE. HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND, OF. COURSE, MOSSAD AND REGIONAL. INTELLIGENCE ALLIANCES WILL DO. THE SAME. THAT'S WHAT CRITICAL NOW. IS THERE A BIGGER NETWORK, A. PLOT ABOUT TO UNFOLD AND WITH HE. HAVE TO GET A HANDLE OH THAN. THAT RIGHT NOW. >> Harris: FORMER ARMY SPECIAL. FORCES OFFICER MIKE NELSON ALSO. WITH US. MIKE, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE. FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE?

WE HAVE SO MANY FORCES IN THE. REGION AND THERE IS THE ON GOING. CONFLICT WITH IRAN RIGHT NOW. >> THE NATIONALITY OF THE. PASSENGERS AND DESTINATION MAKE. US ALL THINK IT LOOKS LIKE. INDICATIONS OF TERRORISM AND A. RESPONSE FROM THE CONCERTED. INFORMATION OPERATIONS THAT HAVE. BEEN TARGETING ISRAELIS FOR THE. PAST SEVERAL YEARS. AS OF YET THERE ARE MANY. UNKNOWNS. AS MICHAEL JUST SAID WE DON'T. YET KNOW IF THIS IS AN EXAMPLE. OF THE KINDS OF THINGS WE SAW. DURING THE ISIS CAMPAIGN WHERE.

MULTIPLE PEOPLE WOULD BE. RADICALIZED BY INFORMATION THEY. SAW ONLINE AND SOLO ATTACKS OR. IF IT WAS A DIRECT AND PLANNED. OPERATION PLANNED BY SOMEONE. EXTERNAL TO THE PILOT HIMSELF. THESE KINDS OF FLIGHTS BETWEEN. THE EMIRATES ARE NEW ESTABLISHED. SINCE 2020 UNDER THE FIRST TRUMP. ADMINISTRATION AND THE ABRAHAM. ACCORDS. BEN GURION AIRPORT HAS. ADDITIONAL SAFETY PROTOCOLS.

ELAL IS A SECURE AIRLINE. THIS WAS A FLYDUBAI FLIGHT THAT. WAS DEPARTING FROM THE EMIRATES. AND THAT MAY HAVE BEEN. SPECIFICALLY PLANNED FOR THAT. REASON WITH LESSER SECURITY. SO AS MICHAEL SAID, I THINK. DETERMINING NUMBER ONE, WHETHER. THIS WAS DIRECTED OR. SELF-RADICALIZED IS GOING TO BE. A KEY CRITERIA. THEN ALSO MITIGATING HOW THIS. VULNERABILITY COULD HAVE. HAPPENED OR HOW THIS PILOT COULD. HAVE GOTTEN INTO A POSITION OF. TRUST AND HOW WE CHANGE THAT IN. THE FUTURE. >> Harris: ONE LAST QUESTION FOR.

YOU KEEPING IT WITH THE MILITARY. FOR A MOMENT. THE VICE ADMIRAL ROBERT HARWOOD. WAS ON WITH ME EARLIER TALKING. ABOUT THE FACT WHETHER IT WAS A. COMMAND AND CONTROL SITUATION OR. JUST A ROGUE ACTOR, WHATEVER IT. WAS, THERE IS A CONFLICT WITH. IRAN GOING ON NOW. OUR ENEMY WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. ANY CHAOS IN THE REGION. WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT ON THAT? >> ABSOLUTELY. IF THIS HAD RESULTED IN. DISASTER, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN. CELEBRATED BY ISRAEL'S ENEMIES.

AND MOST NOTABLY OUR ENEMIES IN. TEHRAN. SELF-RADICALIZATION IS NOT NEW. THE IDEA OF LEADERLESS JIHAD IS. A REAL THREAT. WE NEED TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND. OUR ISRAELI ALLIES NEED TO BE ON. THE LOOKOUT FOR DIRECTED ATTACKS. AND KINDS OF EXAMPLES OF. SELF-RADICALIZATION. >> Harris: YOU SAID SOMETHING. RIGHT THERE. MICHAEL ALLEN, YOUR RESPONSE.

LEADERLESS JIHAD. YOUR THOUGHTS. >> YES, MIKE IS RIGHT. ONE PHENOMENON WE'VE SEEN IN THE. JIHAD WORLD IT HAS BECOME MORE. DECENTRALIZED. WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE IF YOU ARE REPORTING UP. TO LIKE IN THE OLD DAYS AL QAEDA. CORE, THAT EXPOSES THEM TO OUR. COMMUNICATIONS, INTERCEPTION. CAPABILITY, SAME WITH THE. ISRAELIS. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN. DEVELOPING AND BEING RADICALIZED. BY LOCAL NETWORKS WHERE THERE IS.

LESS COMMUNICATION GOING ON TO A. CENTRAL ACTOR THAT WE MAY HAVE. COVERAGE ON. SO I THINK THAT IS DEAD ON. STRAIGHT. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHO THIS. GUY IS IN TOUCH WITH AND MAYBE. THEY ARE CONNECTED TO SOMEONE. BROADER BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? LATELY WE'VE SEEN, AS I SAY, DECENTRALIZED NETWORKS AND IT. COULD BE WHAT WE NEED TO ROOT. THROUGH RIGHT NOW. >> Harris: ISRAEL KATZ SAID. EARLIER IT WAS LIKELY AN. ATTEMPTED JIHADIST TERROR.

ATTACK. WE DON'T KNOW. I WANT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR. WHEN YOU SAY LEADERLESS JIHAD, WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT REGION. NO MATTER WHAT. PLEASE STAY WITH ME. I WANT TO BRING IN DARREN GOB, BLACKHAWK PILOT COLONEL. LET ME ASK YOU WHAT IT WAS LIKE. INSIDE THE PLANE. YOU HAVE FLOWN A LOT OF MISSIONS. AND BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER EXPERT.

YOU HAVE BEEN IN A SKY A LOT. THOUGH. WHEN YOU HEAR SOMEBODY HAS. PITCHED AND NOSE-DIVED 16,000. FEET, TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT THEY. SURVIVED. >> THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE. EXPERIENCE TO HAVE SURVIVED AND. PROBABLY ONE OF THE SCARIEST. THINGS MOST OF THESE PEOPLE WILL. GO THROUGH IN THEIR LIVES. THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC TACTICS. WE APPLY IN THE BLACKHAWK. HELICOPTER COMMUNITY TO LOOKED. ALTITUDE QUICKLY. NONE CAN ACHIEVE THAT KIND OF. DESCENT. THAT IS SIGNIFICANT.

WHAT YOU HEAR AND ENVISION MIGHT. BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT. YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE. POTENTIALLY COMING OUT OF THEIR. SEATS IF THEY WEREN'T BUCKLED. UP. THINGS FLYING AROUND. THINGS FLYING AROUND THE. COCKPIT. THEY WILL COME OUT AND HAVE. INCREDIBLE STORIES WHAT THEY. EXPERIENCED IN ALL OF THIS DUE. TO THAT RATE OF DESCENT. MUCH LESS WHAT THEY MAY HAVE. WITNESSED IN THE COCKPIT ITSELF. HOW THE ENTIRE SCENARIO MAY HAVE. PLAYED OUT WITH THE TAKEOVER OF. THE COCKPIT AND REPLACING OF THE.

CREW. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PAINT A. PICTURE OF EXACT WILL I WHAT. THESE PASSENGERS WENT THROUGH. JUST THROUGH WORDS. THEY WILL TELL YOU PROBABLY. FAIRLY SOON. THAT IS A MASSIVE DESCENT THAT. WOULD CAUSE A LOT OF CHAOS IN. THE COCKPIT AND CABIN AND WOULD. HAVE BEEN AN INCREDIBLE THING TO. SURVIVE. >> Harris: ASK MY TEAM IF WE CAN. TO PUT UP SOME OF THE VIDEO THAT. WE HAVE OF SOME OF THE. PASSENGERS WHO WERE IN THAT. FLIGHT. SOME OF THEM HAD SUFFERED SOME.

INJURIES THAT WE COULD SEE. ONE WITH BLOOD ON HIS HEAD AND. THAT SORT OF THING. WHAT YOU ARE DESCRIBING IS YEAH, YOU DIDN'T GET A HEADS UP YOU. NEEDED TO PUT YOUR SEAT BELT ON. IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT YOU ARE. BOUNCING AROUND AND ONE. PASSENGER DESCRIBED THE PLANE. SPINNING A BIT. >> THAT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME. THIS KIND OF DESCENT. YOU HAVE POTENTIALLY LOST SOME. OF THE CONTROL CIRCUIT. CAPABILITIES AND WHAT YOU CAN. DO. SO WHAT THE AIRCRAFT IS DOING.

COULD BE SIGNIFICANT. >> Harris: ALL RIGHT. I WANT TO TALK NOW AND WE ARE. WAITING FOR SOME OF THOSE. PA.