Israel's president announced "heroism" awards for four passengers on the Flydubai flight who intervened during the attack

Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks during a press conference (REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File)Israeli President Isaac Herzog will recommend that four passengers on Flydubai flight FZ1073 receive the Presidential Award for Civil Heroism for intervening during the attack on Captain Smit Machchhar and helping to avert a catastrophe. The head of state proposed honoring Yaniv Hayoun, Zvika Manes, Asaf Rajuan, and Dr. Shota Musayev, according to his office following the aircraft's emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Hayoun, Manes, and Rajuan entered the cockpit and subdued the co-pilot after he stabbed the captain. Herzog noted that Hayoun stabilized the plane's controls during the intervention. "They came to help, entered the cockpit, and overpowered the attacker, with their own lives in grave danger, while Hayoun stabilized the aircraft's controls," the Israeli president detailed regarding the actions of the plane's passengers. After the passengers neutralized the aggressor, Musayev provided medical care to Machchhar, who suffered serious injuries. "Once the attacker was subdued, Dr. Musayev provided medical treatment to save the life of the seriously injured pilot and helped stabilize his condition until the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia," Herzog stated. "The swift action of the passengers and crew averted a great disaster," he added. The president held conversations with the four men and conveyed his recognition of their response during the incident. Herzog also praised Tali Manes, Zvika's wife, who was the first to alert about the disturbance in the cockpit. The head of state also thanked Smit Machchhar, whose performance after the attack, he maintained, allowed the passengers to neutralize the co-pilot and saved lives. The Presidential Award for Civil Heroism is Israel's highest civilian distinction in that category. Herzog created the award after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Indian pilot Smit Machchhar —hailed as a hero by leaders of Israel and India after saving the passengers following being stabbed by a colleague in an alleged attempt to crash a Flydubai plane on Wednesday— smiles in an undisclosed location (Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via REUTERS)For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the intervention of passengers and crew averted a catastrophe "like the one on September 11," 2001 in the United States, given the co-pilot's alleged intention to crash the aircraft. "That's what it appears was happening in terms of the specific motivations," Netanyahu declared in an interview with CNN on Wednesday, without specifying whether he had information confirming that the co-pilot sought to crash the plane into a building. The head of government referred to the account provided by one of the passengers who stormed the cockpit. According to that account, the co-pilot was attempting to destroy the controls to render the aircraft unusable, which at that moment was flying over Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu noted that he spoke by phone with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, about the incident. "I spoke to him about this incredible act of heroism that averted a disaster that would not only have been a disaster for Israel, but, as you can imagine, could have affected global aviation," he stated. "What distinguishes this incident from other tragic attacks is that, this time, the good guys won," the Israeli head of government added. Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the intervention of passengers and crew averted a catastrophe "like the one on September 11" (Europa Press)Netanyahu also indicated that Israeli authorities had no prior intelligence information about the attack. The investigation seeks to establish the motive and determine whether the co-pilot acted alone or had possible links to other actors. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Indian captain Machchhar, who was injured during the fight in the flight's cockpit, a "hero," and stated that his intervention averted a tragedy among the aircraft's 174 passengers. "Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO," Modi wrote in a message posted on social media. The Indian leader highlighted that Machchhar continued his response to the attack despite the severity of his injuries. "In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others," he stated, adding: "His bravery helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy." Modi stated that "India is proud of Captain Machchhar" and expressed wishes for his recovery: "Praying for his speedy recovery, renewed strength, and good health."