Netanyahu invites ‘true hero’ New Zealand
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited Captain Smit Machchhar, who thwarted a hijacking attempt on a Flydubai flight, to be a guest of honor at Israel's Independence Day ceremony. The captain recounted the harrowing details of the attack by his co-pilot.
Why it matters
The incident highlights international security concerns in aviation and the diplomatic recognition of individual heroism in the context of Israel-India relations.
Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar who was stabbed on his Flydubai flight to Israel by a hijacker had a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed. Photo / Supplied
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited to Israel as a guest of honour the New Zealand-trained Indian captain of a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight who offered a dramatic account of how he saved the plane after being attacked.
Netanyahu said he wanted Captain Smit Machchhar and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of Israel’s key international partners, to light a flame at a national ceremony for Israel’s Independence Day next May, saying the role was usually reserved for Israeli citizens.
“You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel and you are a hero of the entire world,” Netanyahu said in a video his office released of his telephone conversation with the hospitalised captain.
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