Netanyahu invites PM Modi to light torch with Smit Machchhar on Israel Independence Day

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited PM Narendra Modi to light a ceremonial torch with Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar at Israel's Independence Day celebrations.

In Short

• Israel to honour hero Indian captain who prevented flydubai flight crash
• Netanyahu invites PM Modi to light torch with Captain Smit Machchhar
• PMO confirms Modi-Netanyahu talks, says leaders discussed West Asia peace

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a ceremonial torch alongside Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar at Israel's Independence Day celebrations, honouring the captain for his role in preventing a terror attack aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight.

Machchhar, a flydubai captain from Gujarat, was seriously injured when his Omani co-pilot attacked him inside the cockpit in late September. Despite his injuries and the aircraft's rapid descent, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing others to intervene and restrain the attacker. The plane subsequently made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

In a post on X on Thursday, Netanyahu said he had spoken to PM Modi and invited him to participate in the torch-lighting ceremony with the Indian pilot.

"Modi thanked me for the invitation and said that on land and in the air, India and Israel are fighting terrorism together. He also commended the strong and decades-old ties between us," Netanyahu wrote on X, also sharing a photograph of the two leaders embracing.

The Prime Minister’s Office also confirmed the call, stating that the leaders exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region. However, it did not mention Netanyahu's invitation to PM Modi.

"The leaders also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's call for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

PM Modi had spoken to Captain Machchhar on October 2, praising his courage and presence of mind during the cockpit attack.

"You have taken so many decisions in a fraction of a second. And you have saved the lives of so many people. And the whole country can proudly say that we Indians are not the ones who take lives. We are the ones who save lives," he told Machchhar through a video call.

Netanyahu, commending the captain's "extraordinary bravery", had called him a "true hero".

"My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster," he wrote earlier.

During his conversation with Netanyahu, the captain had recalled that the incident began after the co-pilot asked to pray. Machchhar said he looked towards the front of the aircraft out of respect before suddenly receiving a heavy blow to the back of his head.

He initially thought something was wrong with the aircraft but soon realised that the co-pilot was attacking him. As the aircraft began descending sharply, Machchhar tried to stop the assault and open the cockpit door.

Despite his injuries and impaired vision, he managed to open the door, allowing others to intervene. The aircraft eventually made an emergency landing in Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. The flight was carrying 174 passengers, with the majority being Israeli citizens.

The torch-lighting ceremony is a prominent feature of Israel's Independence Day celebrations. The honour is traditionally reserved for Israeli citizens, making Netanyahu's invitation to an Indian pilot a notable gesture of recognition.

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