Netanyahu hails Indian pilot Smit Machchhar after Israel-bound flight scare

Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Indian pilot Smit Machchhar after he foiled an alleged cockpit threat on an Israel-bound flight. The call gave the incident diplomatic weight, along with praise and an invitation to Israel's Independence Day event.

In Short

• Dubai report said the Prime Minister personally called the pilot later
• The aircraft was headed to Tel Aviv when the alleged threat emerged
• Machchhar was credited with stopping a co-pilot from endangering passengers

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, calling him a "hero of the entire world" after an alleged attempt by a co-pilot to crash an Israel-bound flight was foiled. Netanyahu also invited Machchhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel's Independence Day event.

Netanyahu spoke to Machchhar over the phone, according to the development reported from Dubai. The conversation came after the pilot was credited with preventing the alleged cockpit threat on the flight headed to Tel Aviv.

During the call, Netanyahu described Machchhar as a "hero of the entire world" for his role in stopping the alleged attempt to bring down the aircraft. He also extended an invitation to Machchhar and Modi to attend Israel's Independence Day celebrations.

The development centres on Netanyahu's call to Machchhar after the Indian pilot was credited with foiling an alleged attempt by a co-pilot to crash a flight bound for Israel, with the Israeli Prime Minister praising him and inviting him to a national event.

With PTI Inputs

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