Rev. George Varughese (Shaji Karackal)
Jerusalem, Israel: After surviving a terrifying cockpit attack aboard a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, Captain Smit Machchhar received a personal message of gratitude from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held an emotional conversation Saturday evening, October 3, 2026, with Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who helped save passengers during a midair attack aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073.
“You are a hero for Israel, India, and the entire world,” Netanyahu told Machchhar during the call. He then invited the injured pilot and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a ceremonial flame at Israel’s Independence Day celebrations.
Netanyahu described the honor as one of the highest recognitions given during the national celebration—an honor traditionally associated with Israeli citizens. “It’s usually reserved for Israeli citizens,” he said, “but I think in this case all the citizens of Israel will embrace you.”
The invitation was extended in recognition of Machchhar’s courage during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, when the captain was attacked inside the cockpit by his co-pilot. The incident forced the aircraft into a dangerous emergency before it eventually landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. UAE authorities have described the attack as a terrorist act, while investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding it
During their conversation, Netanyahu asked Machchhar how the terrifying episode began. The captain explained that his co-pilot had asked for time to pray—something Machchhar said did not initially seem unusual. Out of respect, he looked toward the front of the aircraft rather than watching the co-pilot behind him.
Several minutes later, Machchhar said, he felt a powerful blow to the back of his head.
“At first, I thought there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft,” he recalled. But as the blows continued, he realized that the danger was coming from the other person inside the cockpit.
The injured pilot then understood that he had to open the cockpit door. Although he managed to open it once, the attacker closed it again. Machchhar said he eventually found “one last fight” within himself.
“If I don’t do it, I’m going to die,” he told Netanyahu. “I gave everything that I had and just went for the door and opened it.”
That moment allowed people outside the cockpit to enter and help restrain the attacker. Machchhar’s actions, carried out while injured and under extraordinary pressure, helped prevent an even greater tragedy.
Netanyahu praised the captain’s composure and judgment under impossible conditions.
“Frankly, I’m amazed at your courage, at your coolness of judgment under impossible conditions,” the prime minister said. “You were exceedingly brave. You saved so many lives.”
He also asked Machchhar to convey his best wishes to the pilot’s wife and family, urging him to recover quickly.
The proposed ceremony would take place at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, where Israel’s annual torch-lighting event marks the beginning of Independence Day celebrations. The ceremony has been held since 1950 and honors individuals who have made significant contributions to Israeli society and the wider public.
Netanyahu’s invitation reflects the profound admiration Machchhar’s actions have inspired across borders. The captain has reportedly resisted being called a hero, suggesting that he simply did what was necessary in a moment when the lives of everyone aboard depended on him.
Yet for Israel and India, his story has come to represent something larger: courage without hesitation, responsibility in the face of fear, and the human instinct to protect others even when one’s own life is in danger.
If the invitation proceeds through Israel’s established selection process, Machchhar and Modi would stand together at the ceremony—an Indian pilot and an Indian prime minister sharing a national Israeli stage in a gesture of friendship, gratitude, and solidarity. Netanyahu does not have unilateral authority to select torch-lighters; candidates are chosen through a public advisory process and approved through the relevant ministerial procedure.
Here’s the official video clip link: https://youtu.be/hLPZ1NJav4o
