Netanyahu Invites flydubai Captain to Israel Independence Ceremony

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited flydubai captain Smit Machchhar and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in the torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem for Israel's next Independence Day. Netanyahu described the invitation to bear the celebratory flame as the highest honor given on the holiday, noting that the role is typically reserved for Israeli citizens.

The gesture follows a terrorist attack on flydubai Flight FZ1073 during a trip from Dubai to Tel Aviv. An Omani co-pilot attacked Machchhar with an axe inside the cockpit. Machchhar fought the attacker and managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries, which allowed passengers and crew to intervene and stop the assailant. The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu praised Machchhar for his courage and coolness of judgment under impossible conditions, stating that the captain saved many lives. The invitation serves as a formal recognition of the captain's actions during the cockpit struggle.