Man on flight attacks Israeli and calls for passengers to lynch him

“He hit me over the head with a metal tray and shouted ‘Allah akbar’ [God is great] and ‘I will slaughter the Jew.’ Only after a few seconds, just before I was about to lose consciousness, did I manage to call out and a flight attendant who saw what was happening summoned her colleagues.”

According to Arik, a Lebanese traveller who came to his rescue said that after being overpowered the attacker tried to convince the other passengers to “finish him off” in a lynching.

In a statement released in response to the incident Ethiopian Airlines said: “The attacker showed no signs of violence as he was boarding the flight.

“He attacked not only the Israeli but also other passengers and members of the flight crew. He is still in detention and is due to appear in court on Wednesday.

“We are sorry for the incident and will do everything we can in order to prevent further such attacks on our Israeli customers.”

Arik, who works for an Israeli company operating in Africa, was taken to a medical clinic in the airport before continuing on his planned route to Tel Aviv.