The Consulate of Israel launched a public awareness campaign across major roadways in Mumbai to express gratitude to honour Captain Machchhar’s valour.
Captain Smit has become a hero in both India and Israel. Our immediate priority is his complete recovery, after which we look forward to welcoming him to Israel to officially honour his courage. The State of Israel and its citizens are deeply grateful to Captain Smit and 4 Israeli passengers on board who saved 174 lives. Revach drew a parallel with the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, when Sandra Samuel, an Indian nanny, saved young Moshe Holtzberg, saying this reflected a shared cultural value placed on preserving innocent life in Indian and Jewish traditions.
Consul General Yaniv Revach, present at the display on the Western Express Highway in Bandra, said, “Captain Smit activated emergency alerts and successfully opened the cockpit door despite sustaining severe wounds to his neck and hands. Mr, according to the media release. He said the situation could have precipitated a “complex diplomatic crisis” had Captain Machchhar been unable to open the cockpit door, and cautioned against what he called speculative narrative-building by some media outlets that might misrepresent facts or strain relations among Israel, the UAE and India, naming Qatar and Al Jazeera as examples he said were inciting public opinion against Israel and Jewish people.
Mr. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed safely despite extensive damage. Flydubai suspended all flights to and from Israel, and an investigation has begun.
Most of the 174 passengers on board were Israelis, including 27 children.
Revach also said, according to the release, that the UAE government had invited Israeli authorities to join the investigation. “We trust that a thorough investigation will bring full clarity to the events, though the possibility of a lone-wolf attack cannot be ruled out,” he said, adding that joint efforts remained crucial in addressing online and media-driven radicalisation. He said he had personally conveyed his wishes and prayers to Captain Machchhar’s family, and that the act of bravery had deepened the bond of friendship between the people of India and Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that one pilot stabbed the other and “apparently tried to crash the plane. The airline said two replacement aircraft were deployed to Tabuk, that the incident had “no impact on other scheduled operations,” and urged against “premature speculation” while the cause remained under formal investigation. It later said flights to and from Israel would be suspended while the investigation continued, and that it remained “in close coordination with government authorities, regulators and airport stakeholders. Some reports have referred to undefined “threats” against Israel ahead of the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks, though the reasons for the incident remain speculative pending a full investigation. Israel has decided to step up security checks on all pilots flying into the country, a Reuters report said, quoting a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office.
