In an interview with Fox News, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel suggested that the co-pilot, who has not been identified but who Israeli officials have said is an Omani citizen, may have been ideologically motivated. “We know that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” Mr. Netanyahu said, adding that investigators had learned this from the man’s “personal information.” He did not provide further details.

Mr. Netanyahu had earlier told Fox News that the attacker was being investigated in Saudi Arabia and would likely be transferred to the Emirates. “And we’ll be following, and possibly also participating in this investigation,” he said.

The pilot, Capt. Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen who survived the attack, has been airlifted to Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital, according to two officials familiar with the matter, after receiving treatment in Saudi Arabia. The Indian Embassy in the Emirates said Mr. Machchhar was recovering and in good health. According to witnesses, Israeli passengers helped to subdue the attacker, while a dentist on board performed first aid on Mr. Machchhar. The dentist said he had been bleeding profusely from his injuries.

On Thursday, Israelis expressed pride in the brave actions of the passengers, with newspaper headlines praising them as “Heroes in the Sky” and calling the midair rescue a “Miracle.”

Many questions remained about the attack, including whether the co-pilot had acted alone; what his motives were; and if his intention was to crash the plane or take control of it and land it in a third country. The plane plunged thousands of feet in minutes and was forced to land in Saudi Arabia after the co-pilot stabbed the captain, according to witnesses and officials.

Two reserve pilots on board were credited with stabilizing the plane and landing it safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Netanyahu told CNN on Wednesday night that the actions of Mr. Machchhar, the Israeli passengers and the two reserve pilots “managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster,” referring to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Four passengers on board also held dual Israeli-American citizenship, according to a U.S. official.

Here’s what we’re covering:

• The pilot: Mr. Machchhar, the Indian pilot, was praised by Mr. Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. His professional profile listing his decade of experience as a commercial pilot emphasized his “strong focus on safety.” Read more ›

• Regional geopolitics: The fraught geopolitics in the Middle East could complicate any investigation. Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have formal diplomatic relations, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are regional rivals. Read more ›

• Passenger accounts: Landing in Israel shortly after nightfall on Wednesday, passengers recalled the moments of terror, heroic interventions and luck that prevented a disaster. Read more ›

• Israeli politics: Mr. Netanyahu of Israel is in a tight race with a national election approaching, and his supporters and opponents quickly seized on Wednesday’s narrowly averted disaster on a FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv to try to improve their standing with voters. Read more ›