Israel’s President Isaac Herzog thanked Captain Smit Machchhar for helping save the passengers of a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight during an attempted terrorist hijacking, inviting the wounded Indian pilot to Jerusalem once he recovers.
Captain Smit Machchhar, stabbed by Omani co-pilot, recovers from terror attack in Saudi Arabia
In a letter, Herzog expressed Israel’s gratitude for Machchhar’s courage and determination in averting a catastrophe aboard the aircraft.
“Your ability to find the strength to rise above the pain, to combat the immediate threat to your life, and to operate sound judgment demonstrates the strength of your character and the great valor you possess,” Herzog wrote.
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Machchhar was seriously wounded when his Omani co-pilot attacked him with a crash axe aboard Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Despite his injuries, he managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene and subdue the attacker. Pilots traveling aboard the aircraft then landed it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Herzog compared Machchhar’s actions to those of Indian troops who risked their lives more than a century ago to liberate cities in the Holy Land.
Herzog referred to Indian troops who fought under British command against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. On September 23, 1918, cavalrymen from the Indian princely states of Jodhpur and Mysore captured Haifa from Ottoman forces. The Indian Army commemorates the victory each year as Haifa Day, with ceremonies also held in Israel to honor the soldiers.
“You too, Captain Machchhar, will henceforth be a treasured part of our people’s history, further amplifying the warmth and connection between the Republic of India and the State of Israel,” he wrote.
The president wished Machchhar a full and speedy recovery, expressing confidence in the care he was receiving in the United Arab Emirates. He said he looked forward to welcoming him to Jerusalem and conveying the gratitude of the Israeli public.
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UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said Friday that investigators had established that the co-pilot intended to seize the aircraft and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in a premeditated suicide attack designed to cause the greatest possible loss of life.