Sit next to an Israeli: Netanyahu's advice if your flight is hijacked

Days before the anniversary of the October 7 attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not wait long to turn the flydubai cockpit incident into a broader message about Israel, praising the passengers who helped subdue the attacker inside the cockpit.

"I don't know if you'll be the next hijacked, but make sure an Israeli is sitting next to you," Netanyahu told Fox News, as Israelis swelled with pride over how passengers wrested control of the plane and helped avert what could have been a deadly disaster.

The passengers' actions quickly became a source of national pride in Israel, where the heroic intervention was portrayed as an example of ordinary people taking charge when the aircraft appeared to be in grave danger.

ISRAEL TO HONOUR PASSENGERS FOR HEROICS

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he would present the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism to five passengers who led the charge into the cockpit after the Omani co-pilot attacked Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and tried to take control of the aircraft. "You put yourselves at risk to save others and prevented a terrible disaster. Today, the whole world saw the beautiful and courageous face of Israeli society," Herzog said.

Among those hailed as heroes was Yaniv Hayoun, a plumber who helped overpower the co-pilot. Hayoun became a prominent face of the incident after recounting how he rushed into the cockpit and helped pin the attacker down while the injured captain was being treated.

Netanyahu met Hayoun at Ben Gurion Airport after the passengers returned to Israel. Hayoun was still wearing the blood-stained T-shirt and jeans he had worn during the struggle when Netanyahu embraced him and asked: "You are a hero. How did you do this?"

Hayoun replied: "We are a people of lions." He also described the physical confrontation with the co-pilot, telling Netanyahu: "Unfortunately we didn't succeed in killing him, but it will take him awhile to recover."

The heroics quickly became part of Israel's political discourse. Netanyahu's decision to personally welcome the passengers and celebrate their actions drew praise from some Israelis, but opposition figures also accused the Prime Minister of using the incident for political messaging.

Yair Golan, leader of the opposition Democrats Party, said he was "feeling filled with pride" over the passengers' bravery but criticised what he called attempts by Netanyahu to "score cheap political points at the expense of this heroism".

The incident unfolded just days before the anniversary of October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and exposing major failures in the country's security system.

The episode also drew comparisons with United Airlines Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked during the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US. Passengers on that flight fought back after learning that the hijackers intended to use the aircraft as a weapon, eventually causing it to crash in Pennsylvania.

There was one crucial difference aboard the flydubai flight. Several pilots were travelling as passengers and were able to help after the cockpit was breached and the suspected attacker was subdued. Their intervention helped bring the Boeing 737 under control before it was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

While the Israeli passengers have received widespread praise at home, Indian Captain Smit Machchhar has also been praised for his role in averting the disaster. Despite being seriously injured in the attack, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, which allowed passengers to confront the co-pilot and helping prevent him from taking full control of the aircraft.