A Melbourne-based Islamic preacher has rejected what he called “false accusations” after prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates identified his community center as a place frequented by the Omani copilot accused of attempting to hijack a flydubai aircraft bound for Tel Aviv.

Hamam al-Hammami, who is being held in the UAE, allegedly drew inspiration from al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, attacks before attempting to kill the captain and bring down the plane. Emirati prosecutors said the suspect acted “with the aim of causing the greatest possible loss of life,” according to findings published by state media last week.

Investigators said Hammami became radicalized while studying in Australia, “through reading extremist literature and following online content glorifying terrorist organizations and suicide attacks.”

According to the prosecution, he had contact with an organization called “My Center,” an Islamic community center managed by a man known as Abu Hamza. Local media have identified the preacher as Samir Mohtadi, who is of Lebanese background.

Mohtadi has delivered sermons sharply criticizing Israel. In previous remarks, he described Zionists as “scavengers” and “bloodsuckers” who needed to be defeated.

Neither Mohtadi nor “My Center” has been accused of criminal wrongdoing in connection with the alleged plot.

In a video circulated on social media, Mohtadi pushed back against what he described as “false accusations.”

“Right through the ages… those who’re righteous, they’ve always been attacked, abused, accused, killed, imprisoned — and this is the way it is,” he said.

“The best thing sometimes is not to say anything,” he added. “They’re going to continue accusing you… making false accusations.”

Mohtadi did not directly address the UAE prosecutor’s allegations concerning Hammami or the community center.

Passengers and crew thwart alleged cockpit attack

The incident took place on September 30, while the aircraft was flying through Saudi Arabian airspace. Hammami allegedly attacked the captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, using a crash axe normally kept in the cockpit for emergencies.

Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. Israeli passengers and two additional pilots aboard the aircraft then helped overpower Hammami, allowing the plane to land safely in Saudi Arabia. The suspect was subsequently transferred to the UAE, where flydubai is based.

During the confrontation, the aircraft reportedly lost 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) of altitude in just 30 seconds. Investigators and accounts from passengers suggest Hammami may have deliberately sent the plane into a dive after realizing he would not reach Tel Aviv. Passengers also described him trying to damage cockpit equipment while they struggled to restrain him.

Hebrew-language media have reported that Hammami visited Ben Gurion Airport multiple times in recent months while traveling to Israel on flydubai flights. According to those reports, he told investigators that during a June visit, he concentrated on gathering intelligence and preparing for an attack.

Reports also indicate that he planned to carry out an attack in July but abandoned the attempt at the last moment because he was friends with a member of that flight’s crew.

Australian police and intelligence agencies have confirmed that they are examining Hammami’s connections to Australia.

New Zealand police have also been looking into his time in the country. National broadcaster RNZ reported last week that Hammami had spent time there on a six-month student visa and completed part of his flight training in New Zealand.

Reported cancellation of Israel-UAE meeting raises questions over investigation

Separately, a scheduled meeting between Israeli Transportation Ministry representatives and officials from the UAE was reportedly canceled this week.

Channel 13 news reported that the cancellation meant Israeli officials would not receive a presentation of the Emirati investigation’s findings into the thwarted flydubai attack, which took place approximately two weeks earlier.

The broadcaster said it had received conflicting accounts of why the meeting was called off.

One account suggested that the UAE canceled the meeting because it did not want the participation of Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev to be interpreted as a political gesture. Another version indicated that Regev herself canceled the meeting, although the reason was not known.

The circumstances surrounding the cancellation remain unclear, as do the details of any eventual briefing Israeli officials may receive on the UAE investigation.