Netanyahu Praises Indian Pilot Who Foiled Cockpit Attack, Invites Him to Light Independence Day Flame

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar to light a flame at Israel's Independence Day event, calling him a "hero" of Israel, India and the entire world for foiling an alleged attempt to crash an Israel-bound flydubai flight. Netanyahu spoke to the 38-year-old pilot on Saturday while Machchhar was undergoing treatment at a hospital in the UAE. During the emotional conversation, Machchhar recounted how he was attacked by his co-pilot inside the cockpit and revealed new details about the incident. "It's our highest honour that we give on our Independence Day. It's usually reserved for Israeli citizens, but I think here in this case, all the citizens of Israel will embrace you. They do now, and they will then too. So we hope to see you very soon in Israel," Netanyahu told Machchhar. The Israeli Prime Minister's office later said on X, "You are a hero for Israel, India, and the entire world. I invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi and you to light a flame on Israeli Independence Day." "During the emotional conversation that took place this evening, the Prime Minister asked Captain Machchhar how it all started, and Machchhar revealed new details about the terrifying moments in the cockpit," the post said. Machchhar told Netanyahu that the co-pilot had wanted to pray before the attack. He said he looked towards the front of the cockpit out of respect while the co-pilot prayed. "...while he was praying, out of respect, I was just looking at the front and not at the back, and suddenly, after, I would say about four-five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head. "My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft and something was not right. But then after that, the blows kept coming one after the other, and that's when I realised that it's not the aircraft, it's the other guy who was in the cockpit with me," Machchhar said. Netanyahu praised the pilot for his actions during the incident. "You saved so many souls. I think you saved something bigger. You saved the spirit of the world...It's something that is being justly hailed around the world. You're a hero of Israel. You're a hero of India. You're a hero of the entire world," Netanyahu told Machchhar. "You know, I guess it's a twist of fate, and a twist of faith, and what you did is remarkable. I heard, of course, from the Israeli passengers what transpired after that, and you're a great hero, and you were accompanied by heroes, and you saved the day," he said. Netanyahu also told Machchhar he was "amazed at his courage" and "at your coolness of judgment under impossible conditions." The incident took place on Wednesday aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which was carrying 174 passengers to Israel. Machchhar was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot with a crash axe, an emergency tool kept inside the cockpit. The aircraft transmitted emergency signals and made a rapid descent of more than 17,000 feet, from 34,000 feet. It eventually made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The descent was so extreme that part of the aircraft's rudder was reportedly torn away.

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The co-pilot has been identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing people familiar with the matter. Machchhar received initial treatment in Tabuk before being shifted to Abu Dhabi for continued medical care.