Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has 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 suspected terror attack aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
Machchhar, a Gujarat-born captain with flydubai, was seriously injured in late September when his Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit. Despite his injuries and the aircraft's rapid descent, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and restrain the attacker.
The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
In a post on X on Thursday, Netanyahu said he had spoken to Modi and invited him to participate in the torch-lighting ceremony alongside 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, sharing a photograph of the two leaders embracing.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) confirmed the conversation but did not mention the invitation. It said the two leaders exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and stressed 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 PMO said in a statement.
Modi had spoken to 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," Modi had told the captain during a video call.
Netanyahu had also praised Machchhar's "extraordinary bravery", calling 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 had written earlier.
During his conversation with Netanyahu, Machchhar recalled that the incident began when the co-pilot asked to pray. The captain 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 plane 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, enabling others to intervene. The flight was carrying 174 passengers, most of them Israeli citizens.
The ceremonial torch-lighting is a prominent feature of Israel's Independence Day celebrations. The honour is traditionally reserved for Israeli citizens, making the invitation to an Indian pilot a notable gesture of recognition.