Israeli Prime Minister Praises Indian Pilot for Actions on Flight FZ1073

<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Indian pilot Smit Machchhar during a phone conversation on Saturday, calling him a "true hero" for both India and Israel. The conversation was shared via video, where Machchhar could be heard on speaker. Netanyahu invited Machchhar to Israel to light a flame during the nation’s next Independence Day celebration.</p><p>Netanyahu stated, "I want to invite you and my dear friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to light a celebratory flame on our next Independence Day. You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel, and you are a hero of the entire world." He also wished Machchhar a "speedy recovery" and inquired about the events that occurred on Flydubai Flight FZ1073.</p><p>Machchhar recounted that during the flight, the co-pilot expressed a desire to pray, which he respected. However, he soon experienced a blow to the back of his head. Initially, he thought there was an issue with the aircraft, but he quickly realized that the situation was much more serious.</p><p>"My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft, and something is not right. But then, after that, the blows kept coming, one after the other, and that’s when I realized that it’s not the aircraft; it’s the other guy who was in the cockpit with me," Machchhar explained. He attempted to stop the co-pilot but was injured and disoriented.</p><p>Despite being stabbed multiple times and lying on the floor, Machchhar stated, "I had that one last fight left in me." He described his determination to open the cockpit door, saying, "If I don’t do it, I’m going to die." He managed to open the door, allowing others to assist in regaining control of the aircraft.</p><p>Among those who helped was Israeli citizen Yaniv Hayoun, who subdued the co-pilot and took control of the plane, preventing a potential disaster.</p>