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[Video below.] Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu met at Ben Gurion Airport with one of the Israeli passengers who helped overpower the suspected attacker aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, praising him as a hero after the passenger described how he personally grabbed the aircraft’s controls and helped stop its terrifying plunge.

The emotional encounter took place following the return of the 174 passengers to Israel after their ordeal aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight and subsequent emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Still wearing clothing stained with blood from the violent confrontation aboard the plane, the passenger immediately apologized to Netanyahu for his appearance.

“I apologize that I have blood on my clothes. I asked ten times for the suitcases so I could change my clothes before the meeting,” he said upon seeing Netanyahu.
Netanyahu immediately dismissed the apology and praised the passenger for his actions aboard the aircraft.

“You don’t need to apologize. You’re the hero. We are a nation of lions, a nation that rises like a lion. I look at you and I see a lion, and I see a tremendous hero. What you did is simply unbelievable.”

The passenger told Netanyahu that the experience had left him deeply shaken and that returning to normal would not happen quickly.

“It will take a long time to recover,” he said.

Recalling the terrifying moments aboard the aircraft, he described how suddenly the situation changed inside the cabin.

“The lights went out and a woman screamed.”

He then recounted the extraordinary action he said he took as the aircraft was plunging downward, explaining that he grabbed the controls and pulled them upward in an effort to stop the dive.

“I pulled the controls up and stopped the plane’s dive. Good thing I watched ‘Air Crash Investigation,’” he said, referring to the television series examining aviation disasters.
The passenger was among several Israelis who rushed into action after a violent confrontation erupted in the cockpit of FZ1073.

According to Israeli officials and passenger accounts, the copilot stabbed the captain and apparently attempted to bring down the aircraft. Passengers and other crew members forced their way into the cockpit and overpowered the alleged attacker as the plane rapidly lost altitude.

Flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft dropped approximately 14,000 feet during the emergency, while passengers described screaming, being thrown around the cabin and believing they were moments away from death.

Other qualified pilots aboard the flight subsequently helped take control of the aircraft, while a doctor and other medically trained passengers treated the badly wounded captain.

The plane ultimately made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the suspected attacker was taken into custody and the wounded captain was transported for medical treatment.

After spending hours in Saudi Arabia, the 174 passengers returned to Israel aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft whose crew had been vetted and approved by the Mossad.
For Netanyahu, however, the meeting at Ben Gurion focused on the actions of the passengers who stepped forward during the crisis — including the bloodstained Israeli standing before him who, according to his account, went from being an ordinary passenger to physically pulling back on the controls of a diving airliner.

{Matzav.com}

Passengers who survived the suspected terror attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 described scenes of sheer terror after returning to Israel Wednesday evening, recounting how the aircraft suddenly plunged toward the ground as screaming passengers became convinced they were about to die.

All 174 passengers ultimately returned to Israel aboard a replacement Flydubai flight following hours in Saudi Arabia, where their original aircraft had made an emergency landing after the violent cockpit incident.

After the replacement flight landed at Ben Gurion Airport, Magen David Adom personnel treated the arriving passengers. A man in his 50s who suffered a minor upper-body injury was transported in light condition to Shamir Medical Center, formerly Assaf Harofeh.

The remaining passengers did not require hospitalization.

One woman aboard the flight described the extraordinary emotions among the passengers when they finally touched down safely in Israel.

“Everyone here is on an unbelievable high. People are incredibly excited. People were in tears, and we cried from happiness when we landed. I never imagined this would happen to me. We didn’t think we would manage to land. It was a miracle. Baruch Hashem.”

She said the moments during which the original aircraft suddenly lost altitude unfolded so rapidly that passengers barely had time to process what was happening.

“We felt the plane falling at incredible speed, with everyone screaming in terror. We didn’t have time to think or talk or breathe. It was seconds,” she recalled.

“We were sure we would all die. I sent farewell messages to our parents. It was unbelievably frightening.”

Flight-tracking data showed that FZ1073 lost approximately 14,000 feet of altitude in an extremely short period during the cockpit emergency, as passengers reported being thrown around the cabin.

Among those who intervened was Musayev Shota, a doctor who said he joined three other Israelis in confronting the copilot accused of stabbing the captain.

“The pilot was very badly injured, with very heavy bleeding from his head and hands. He was in very serious condition. I was the only doctor on the plane. I managed to stop the blood and the bleeding stopped completely. His condition was fairly stable, but at the last moment it deteriorated somewhat. Right when we landed.”

The doctor said the passengers were also forced to physically overpower and restrain the suspected attacker as the crisis unfolded.

“We took control of the terrorist and tied him up, and of course it was difficult, but we succeeded. There were four of us here who took control of the entire situation, and if not for that, we wouldn’t be speaking with you.”

The passengers’ accounts add further detail to the extraordinary events aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, during which Israeli officials say the copilot stabbed the captain and apparently attempted to bring down the aircraft.

Passengers and crew members forced their way into the cockpit and subdued the alleged attacker.

Qualified pilots aboard the flight then took control of the aircraft, while medical professionals among the passengers treated the wounded captain until the plane could make its emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

After hours on Saudi soil, some passengers initially refused to board another Flydubai aircraft because of what they had just endured.

All 174 ultimately agreed to fly home after the Mossad vetted and approved the replacement crew.

Their arrival at Ben Gurion Airport brought an end to an ordeal that several of those aboard said they were convinced they would not survive.

{Matzav.com}

A cherished tradition of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin continued last night as the yeshiva held its annual Simchas Bais Hashoeivah, highlighted by a maamar delivered by the rosh yeshiva, Rav Tzvi Fink, in the presence of rabbonim, talmidim, bnei yeshiva and distinguished guests.

The gathering was held in the sukkah at the former building of Congregation Gvul Yaavetz, located directly across from the yeshiva in Brooklyn, the building of Rav Dovid Cohen’s shul now owned by the yeshiva.

At the center of the evening was the maamar delivered by Rav Fink, continuing the yeshiva’s longstanding practice of marking the Simchas Bais Hashoeivah with words of Torah and machshavah. Seated alongside Rav Fink was his fellow rosh yeshiva, Rav Yosef Haliou.

Among the special guests who attended the maamar was Rav Yaakov Bender, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Darchei Torah in Far Rockaway, who joined the Chaim Berlin roshei yeshiva and the assembled bnei yeshiva for the occasion.

The gathering reflected the distinctive character of Chaim Berlin, where the Simchas Bais Hashoeivah has traditionally been far more than a festive Chol Hamoed event. The evening has served as an opportunity for generations of talmidim to gather around their roshei yeshiva, hear a substantive maamar and experience the simchas Yom Tov through the yeshiva’s particular mesorah of Torah, machshavah and avodah.

For longtime talmidim of the yeshiva, the scene itself carried particular meaning. The faces at the front have changed with the passing of generations, but the essential image remains familiar: a crowded sukkah on Chol Hamoed, talmidim gathered closely together, and the rosh yeshiva sharing a maamar intended to illuminate the deeper meaning of the Yom Tov.

WATCH (courtesy of Sparks of a Nation):

{Matzav.com}

A dramatic directive was issued Wednesday from the home of the Gerer Rebbe warning thousands of Gerer chassidim against listening to, discussing or retaining recordings that have circulated in recent days, with the Rebbe instructing that anyone possessing the material must delete it immediately.

The message was delivered in an audio recording by Rav Yitzchok Broida, secretary to the Gerer Rebbe, who said he was speaking explicitly on the Rebbe’s instructions.

The recordings in question have reportedly spread through social media and messaging groups in recent days and have become a major topic of conversation within Ger. Discussion surrounding the material reportedly moved well beyond online groups and into conversations at Yom Tov seudos and in the homes of chassidim, prompting the unusual public directive.

In the message sent to the phones of tens of thousands of Gerer chassidim, Rav Broida said in the name of the Rebbe:

“I was instructed to inform the members of our community, in his name and on his behalf, that in recent days, matters have been improperly publicized which, aside from involving prohibitions established by earlier authorities, also constitute defamation, machlokes and the spreading of discord. Speaking and writing about these matters, and involving oneself in them, causes tremendous pain, and regarding such matters the poskim have written that even one who does so inadvertently requires atonement.”

Rav Broida then addressed the recordings themselves and issued an unequivocal instruction regarding anyone who has received or retained them.

“Therefore, it is necessary to awaken and warn the public not to believe any of these matters whatsoever, and never to involve oneself in or discuss this matter at all. Everyone must understand that this is extremely serious and dangerous, and anyone who possesses any of these materials in any form is obligated to delete them and destroy them from the world immediately, without relying on any purported permission whatsoever.”

The message concluded with an appeal for unity during Yom Tov.

“Let us strengthen ourselves in unity and in looking favorably upon one another, particularly during these holy days of Yom Tov. Let us all rejoice as one person with one heart, with love and brotherhood, and may Hashem spread His sukkah of peace over us and bestow upon us only goodness and kindness all our days.”

The unusually forceful message comes as the Gerer Rebbe has not been attending tefillos publicly during Chol Hamoed and has not been receiving visitors due to weakness.

Within Ger, there is hope that, b’ezras Hashem, the Rebbe will be able to emerge publicly for Simchas Torah and participate in the Yom Tov proceedings as in previous years.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] A BBC presenter made an eyebrow-raising on-air mistake Wednesday while covering the suspected attack aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel, repeatedly referring to Ben Gurion Airport as “Ben Gvir Airport” — apparently confusing Israel’s main international airport with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

The slip came as the BBC was reporting on the dramatic events aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which had been traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv before a violent cockpit confrontation forced the aircraft to divert to Saudi Arabia.

“Two pilots who sat at the back of the plane helped land the aircraft after this altercation and this plane should have landed at Ben Gvir Airport, which we continue to monitor t was indeed diverted to Saudi Arabia,” the presenter stated.

The airport is, of course, Ben Gurion International Airport, named for David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister. Itamar Ben Gvir is Israel’s national security minister and has no connection to the airport’s name.

The mistake quickly drew attention online, particularly because of Ben Gvir’s prominence in Israeli politics and the BBC’s extensive coverage of Israel since the October 7 attacks and the ensuing regional wars.

The error occurred during rapidly developing coverage of the Flydubai emergency, as international news organizations were working to piece together conflicting initial reports about what had happened aboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8.

The aircraft had been heading for Ben Gurion Airport when a violent confrontation erupted inside the cockpit. Israeli officials say the copilot stabbed the captain and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft with its passengers aboard.

Passengers and other flight crew members rushed toward the cockpit, overpowered the alleged attacker and allowed other qualified pilots aboard the flight to take control. The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu later praised the passengers who intervened, saying they had prevented a major disaster. Defense Minister Israel Katz described the episode as an attempted “jihadist terrorist attack,” although Saudi authorities and Flydubai have not publicly confirmed that characterization.

The passengers subsequently left Saudi Arabia aboard a replacement Flydubai aircraft and arrived safely — at Ben Gurion Airport, not “Ben Gvir Airport” — on Wednesday evening.

{Matzav.com}

Diet Coke devotees across New York City are sounding the alarm as cans of the wildly popular soda have become surprisingly difficult to obtain through several major grocery-delivery services, with customers in multiple boroughs reporting weeks of empty inventories and unexplained shortages.

The problem appears particularly pronounced at Amazon Fresh, where some customers say Coke products have been unavailable for nearly a month. Shoppers have also reported difficulty finding Diet Coke through FreshDirect and at some Costco and Target locations.

The situation has become serious enough — at least by Diet Coke standards — for New Yorkers to start treating it like a full-fledged crisis.

On the Upper East Side, one resident recently asked neighbors whether anyone else had been unable to order cans of Diet Coke for nearly a month.

“We declared an emergency in our house,” one neighbor responded.

The problem is hardly confined to the Upper East Side.

An Amazon Fresh customer in Brooklyn reported that Coke products had been missing from the service since Aug. 5. Similar complaints have surfaced from customers in Harlem, Queens and Long Island, while one Brooklyn shopper said a local Costco had also run out.

“They can cut off the gas, they can cut off the diesel, but if they cut off the Diet Coke there will finally be revolution,” one commenter declared in solidarity.

The mystery is complicated by the fact that Diet Coke has not disappeared everywhere. Current online listings show the soda available through some retailers, including FreshDirect, while other supermarkets continue to advertise various Diet Coke packages for sale.

That suggests New York may not be experiencing a genuine citywide Diet Coke shortage so much as a patchwork distribution and availability problem affecting particular retailers, warehouses and package sizes.

Coca-Cola itself acknowledges that Diet Coke can periodically become difficult to find. The company says increased demand, along with shortages of aluminum and certain ingredients, can affect supplies in some markets, and that it works with retailers and suppliers to address availability problems.

There has been no public confirmation, however, that any of those factors are specifically responsible for the current problems being reported in New York.

The apparent shortage is especially striking given the enormous scale of Coca-Cola’s operation and Diet Coke’s enduring popularity. Coca-Cola generated nearly $48 billion in revenue last year, and while the company does not separately disclose Diet Coke sales, the brand remains one of its billion-dollar products.

Demand has hardly been collapsing. Global volume for Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Light rose 7% during the second quarter of 2026, with particularly strong growth in North America and the Asia-Pacific region.

“There has culturally been a huge influx of Diet Coke drinkers in the last two years,” Kristen Hollingshaus, director of Diet Coke Breaks, told The Post.

“It is truly the beverage of our generation,” Hollingshaus added, arguing that social media has helped fuel its latest popularity surge.

Hollingshaus, who lives in San Francisco, said she has not encountered the same problem in the Bay Area, where regular Diet Coke remains readily available. She has, however, noticed that some flavored varieties, including Diet Coke Lime and Cherry Diet Coke, have become more difficult to locate.

For New Yorkers staring at Diet Coke-free grocery orders, she said the reaction is entirely justified.

“The freak out is literally so fair and understandable because if this was happening in the Bay Area, I’d be raising hell,” she said.

Her recommendation for anyone unable to get cases through Amazon Fresh is to try ordering directly from Amazon.com instead.

“I get it — by the time it hits 3 p.m. every day I’m genuinely feening for a Diet Coke if I haven’t had one already,” she said.

The unanswered question is what, exactly, has happened to the supply.

Some Amazon Fresh customers have speculated that the disappearance of Coke products may have nothing to do with an actual shortage. Instead, they have floated theories involving a contract, billing or account dispute between Amazon and Coca-Cola.

One person claiming to work at an Amazon Fresh warehouse said Pepsi products were continuing to arrive while Coke products were not, further fueling speculation that at least part of the problem could be retailer-specific.

Those claims have not been independently verified, and there has been no confirmation from Amazon or Coca-Cola that an invoice or contractual dispute is responsible.

The fact that Diet Coke remains available from other sellers also makes a blanket New York shortage difficult to establish. FreshDirect currently lists cans for sale online, and other grocery chains have recently advertised Diet Coke products as available, even as customers report that particular stores, delivery services and can sizes are sold out.

Whatever is causing New York’s current Diet Coke difficulties, they come during an unusually complicated year for the soft drink’s international supply chain.

A genuine shortage emerged earlier this year in India, where Diet Coke is sold exclusively in cans. Disruptions to aluminum supplies moving through the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.-Iran war contributed to dwindling inventories.

The scarcity there became so pronounced that restaurants and social-media personalities in New Delhi and Mumbai began staging tongue-in-cheek “Diet Coke parties,” turning the increasingly hard-to-find cans into something of a novelty.

Coca-Cola has acknowledged more broadly that aluminum and ingredient shortages can periodically interfere with Diet Coke availability.

There is currently no evidence establishing that the overseas supply disruption is responsible for what New Yorkers are experiencing.

There is, however, an ironic political footnote to the Great Diet Coke Hunt of 2026.

President Donald Trump is perhaps the world’s most famous Diet Coke enthusiast. His well-known “Diet Coke Button” sits on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, allowing him to summon his preferred soda without leaving his chair.

For ordinary New Yorkers without presidential beverage buttons, the options are considerably less convenient.

And for the most devoted Diet Coke drinkers, the unthinkable alternative remains sitting right there on the shelf: Pepsi.

{Matzav.com}

Agudath Israel of America is encouraged by the launch of Mayor Mamdani’s Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, and Mayor Mamdani’s statement, released yesterday. The Agudah applauds this acknowledgement of rising antisemitism, the significant work inherent in the plan’s compilation, and its inclusion of several positive features – all critical elements for addressing an epidemic of hate in the city with the largest population of Jews outside of Israel.

That said, many Jews, and especially those represented by Agudah, will find this plan lacking.

Orthodox Jews will not be impressed by an allocation of $1 million to protect nonprofit organizations and houses of worship while making a $2.5 million capital investment in The Center for New Jewish Culture “to support the next generation of Jewish artists.” Nor will they feel seen by an acknowledgment of Leonard Bernstein, Katz’s Deli, and Kleinfeld Bridal, as singled out by the mayor’s listing of Jewish contributions to NYC.

Visibly identifiable Jews comprise the primary victims of antisemitism. We need real safety. We need security funding and uncompromising enforcement; unequivocal condemnation of antisemitism wherever and by whichever political group it is espoused; an end to the administration’s stoking of Jew-hatred through its obsession with criticizing Israel; and a complete cessation of pandering to antisemitic personas.

{Matzav.com}

The 174 passengers caught up in the suspected terror attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 arrived safely at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday evening, completing an extraordinary journey that included a bloody cockpit struggle, a terrifying plunge, an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia and hours stranded in Tabuk.

The replacement Flydubai aircraft touched down at Ben Gurion roughly an hour after leaving Saudi Arabia. As the jet entered Israeli airspace, Israeli Air Force fighter jets accompanied it on the final leg of the journey until it reached the airport.

אחרי שעות של דרמה בשחקים: טיסת החילוץ מסעודיה נחתה בישראלhttps://t.co/1tQp7TE6jB@OrHeller | @NoganNir | @OfekTzach pic.twitter.com/9qsW1fsxeS

— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) September 30, 2026

The return flight initially faced another obstacle when several passengers, deeply shaken by what had happened earlier in the day, refused to board another Flydubai aircraft. They ultimately agreed to make the trip after Israeli security officials intervened and the Mossad vetted and approved the replacement crew.

The replacement pilots were separately checked before departure, and passengers said they were reassured about their identities and backgrounds. Earlier reports identified the two replacement pilots as Australian and Ukrainian.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu was expected at Ben Gurion Airport as the passengers returned, after spending much of the day receiving security updates and speaking personally with at least one of those who helped overpower the suspected attacker.

The group had been in Saudi Arabia since FZ1073, originally traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was forced to divert to Tabuk following the violent incident inside the cockpit. Israeli officials remained in contact with Saudi authorities as passengers were questioned about what had occurred. Officials said none of the Israelis would be required to remain in Saudi Arabia for the investigation.

The crisis began when the aircraft transmitted emergency signals indicating that something was seriously wrong aboard the plane. Among them was code 7500, the internationally recognized transponder signal for unlawful interference with an aircraft and a potential hijacking.

Israeli authorities briefly lost contact with the jet, setting off an immediate security response. Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled while Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior security officials held emergency consultations.

As information began emerging from passengers and Israeli officials, the episode took on a far more alarming character.

According to Israel’s preliminary assessment, the copilot, described in Israeli reports as an Omani national, attacked and repeatedly stabbed the captain before apparently attempting to deliberately bring down the aircraft. Israeli officials said evidence increasingly indicated that the episode was an intentional terrorist attack rather than a mental-health-related incident.

Saudi authorities and Flydubai have not publicly confirmed Israel’s characterization of the attack or the reported nationality and motive of the suspected attacker. The investigation is continuing, including an Israeli inquiry into how an Omani national was reportedly cleared to serve as a pilot aboard a flight bound for Israel.

Passengers and crew members who heard screams and commotion coming from the cockpit rushed forward and forced their way into the confrontation. Several passengers helped overpower the alleged attacker and remove him from the cockpit, allowing other qualified pilots aboard the aircraft to take control.

A senior Israeli official said afterward that “an extremely serious disaster was averted.”

Among those who intervened was Tzvika Manes, CEO of Barak Capital Underwriting, who was traveling with his wife and young daughters. Manes said he and two other passengers entered the cockpit after his wife heard screaming and alerted another pilot sitting outside.

“I’m covered in blood. It was insane,” he said.

Manes later said the passengers had to use significant force to restrain the alleged attacker. With no handcuffs available, they improvised by using cables from the aircraft’s entertainment headphones to tie him up.

Other passengers filmed the chaotic aftermath.

One passenger, his face covered in blood, recorded a video while the aircraft was still preparing to make its emergency landing.

“We have just taken control of the terrorists. We’re preparing to land. Anyone who can hear me, we need help.”

Yitzhak Lieber, another passenger who was aboard the flight, described how the passengers reacted once they realized what was happening.

“We took control here on the flight of the attacker with a knife who stabbed one of the pilots. We just jumped in, and a few of us got them out of the cockpit. Everything is fine now.”

Footage recorded aboard the aircraft showed passengers guarding the cockpit entrance while medical professionals tended to the badly wounded captain. A doctor and nurse who happened to be aboard the flight provided emergency treatment and stabilized him after he suffered multiple stab wounds.

Other qualified pilots aboard the aircraft stepped in after the alleged attacker was removed from the cockpit and helped bring the jet under control.

The severity of the emergency was also visible in flight-tracking data. During the cockpit struggle, FZ1073 suddenly lost approximately 14,000 feet of altitude — about 4,200 meters — in an extremely short period, sending passengers tumbling and prompting fears that the aircraft was about to crash.

The jet eventually established contact with Saudi authorities and diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, where it landed safely.

Saudi authorities took the suspected attacker into custody, while the wounded pilots were transported for medical treatment. The captain, identified in reports as Indian national Smit Machchhar, was described as having suffered multiple stab wounds.

Netanyahu later said the alleged attacker had attempted to “crash the plane with everyone on board.”

He praised the passengers and crew members who intervened, saying their actions prevented a catastrophe.

“I salute these heroes, who displayed extraordinary resourcefulness and courage,” he said. “They saved many lives. They prevented a major disaster.”

Defense Minister Katz described the episode as an “attempted jihadist terrorist attack,” saying Israel’s preliminary information indicated that the alleged attacker intended to bring down the plane with everyone aboard.

Once FZ1073 was safely on the ground, attention shifted to extracting the Israelis from Saudi Arabia, which does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

Israeli officials considered several possibilities for bringing the group home, including sending an Israeli aircraft to Tabuk. Flydubai ultimately dispatched a replacement jet, whose crew was vetted by Israeli security officials before passengers were asked to board.

Some initially refused.

After hours of uncertainty — and assurances from Israeli officials that the new crew had been examined and approved — the remaining holdouts agreed to make the trip.

The replacement aircraft departed Tabuk Wednesday afternoon and, approximately an hour later, crossed into Israeli airspace under the watch of Israeli fighter jets.

It then landed at Ben Gurion Airport, bringing all 174 passengers back to Israel and ending a journey that had begun that morning as a routine flight from Dubai.

{Matzav.com}

Iran has issued a sharp warning to the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states following Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s secret visit to Abu Dhabi, cautioning that an expanded Israeli presence in the region could have “highly dangerous consequences” and urging neighboring countries not to allow their territory to be used against Tehran.

The warning from Iran’s Foreign Ministry came after Netanyahu traveled secretly to the UAE on Sunday for talks with Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The trip was initially kept under wraps, but both Israel and the UAE subsequently confirmed that the meeting had taken place.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the visit and called on governments throughout the region to exercise caution as Israel expands its diplomatic and security relationships in the Gulf.

“There is no doubt that, given the proven hostility and hatred of the Zionist regime toward Iran and other countries in the region, as well as its repeated threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all countries in the region must remain vigilant regarding the consequences of such a presence,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

Tehran further called on regional governments to prevent their territories from being used for activities that Iran says could threaten neighboring countries or destabilize the region. Iranian officials characterized Netanyahu’s visit as another indication of what they regard as an expanding Israeli security footprint in the Gulf.

The warning carries particular significance amid the intense confrontation between Iran and Israel and the United States this year. Iran has repeatedly accused Gulf countries of facilitating Israeli and American operations against it. In May, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi went so far as to accuse the UAE of being an “active partner” in U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran, an allegation Abu Dhabi rejected.

Netanyahu’s Sunday visit was itself highly unusual. Although Israel and the UAE have maintained formal diplomatic relations since signing the Abraham Accords in 2020, Abu Dhabi’s public confirmation of the meeting represented the first time the Emiratis had openly acknowledged hosting Netanyahu for such a visit.

Netanyahu was accompanied by an unusually senior Israeli delegation that included Mossad chief Roman Gofman, National Security Council head Gil Reich, his military secretary and foreign policy adviser. Netanyahu’s office said the trip centered on strengthening Israeli-Emirati relations and addressing regional challenges.

The UAE offered a more restrained public account, saying simply that Mohamed bin Zayed and Netanyahu discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen and develop them.

But Israeli reports indicate that considerably more may have taken place behind closed doors.

According to a Channel 14 report, representatives of a remarkable collection of Arab and Muslim countries were present in Abu Dhabi during the visit, potentially transforming what initially appeared to be a bilateral Israel-UAE meeting into a far broader regional gathering.

The report said representatives were present from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Kuwait, Bahrain, Libya, Oman and Egypt, in addition to the UAE, Israel and the United States. If accurate, the gathering would be especially noteworthy because several of those countries do not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel. The reported multinational meeting has not been publicly confirmed by the governments said to have participated.

Other Israeli reporting has produced somewhat different lists, with Jordan and Qatar also mentioned as possible participants. Open-source flight information cited in subsequent reports indicated that a Libyan government aircraft, a Moroccan military transport plane and a Qatari military aircraft were among planes arriving in Abu Dhabi around the time Netanyahu was there. Those movements do not by themselves establish who participated in the meeting.

According to Channel 14, the discussions included Iran, Israeli-Gulf cooperation, economic matters and Israeli defense technology.

Reports also indicated that the talks unfolded in stages, beginning with a more limited meeting involving Netanyahu, Mohamed bin Zayed and their delegations before representatives of other countries joined a broader session.

The possibility that Saudi officials participated is particularly significant. Saudi Arabia still has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel, although contacts between the countries have been reported for years. The current regional crisis, including the confrontation with Iran and renewed Houthi military activity in Yemen, has given Israel and several Gulf governments overlapping security concerns.

There was another explosive issue hanging over Netanyahu’s trip.

Recent reports have alleged that Mohamed bin Zayed personally warned Netanyahu before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that a major assault was being prepared. Netanyahu has emphatically denied receiving such a warning.

The Associated Press and Israeli reports, citing sources familiar with the meeting, said Netanyahu used his latest visit to ask the Emirati leader to publicly deny the claim. Netanyahu’s office has denied that the trip was undertaken for that purpose and has maintained that the meeting dealt with regional and bilateral matters.

The secrecy surrounding the visit produced a controversy of its own after Israel’s Channel 12 reported Netanyahu’s location while his aircraft was still outside Israeli airspace on the return trip.

Netanyahu’s office said the disclosure endangered Netanyahu, his wife and the senior Israeli officials traveling with him. The Shin Bet subsequently filed a complaint with Israel’s military censor over what Netanyahu’s office characterized as a serious security violation.

{Matzav.com}

Thousands marched through Yerushalayim on Tuesday night in a massive reception for approximately 50 yeshiva bochurim and other chareidi draft avoiders recently released from military prison, with the event igniting a political firestorm after demonstrators displayed signs referring to the IDF as the “enemy army” and describing imprisoned draft evaders as “hostages.”

The procession, organized by elements associated with the Peleg Yerushalmi and kanoim, began in the Geulah area and proceeded through several major streets in Yerushalayim.

The event featured music, dancing and an open truck carrying some of those who had served time in military prison, while large crowds lined and filled the surrounding streets.

Many of those being honored were young chareidi men who had been arrested at Ben Gurion Airport, including bochurim detained upon returning from Uman following Rosh Hashanah. Because authorities have largely stopped carrying out proactive arrests of chareidi draft avoiders in residential areas, the airport has become one of the primary locations where outstanding military arrest orders are actually enforced.

The most controversial element of Tuesday’s gathering was the rhetoric appearing on signs carried through the streets.

One declared, “Release the hostages from Prison 10, who will never serve in the enemy army.” Other signs carried variations of the longtime anti-draft slogan, “We will die rather than enlist.”

Another sign displayed at the event contained the statement: “If I had to choose whether he should go to the army or die the way he died, I would prefer that he die.”

The characterization of the IDF as an “enemy army,” together with the appropriation of the word “hostages” for draft avoiders incarcerated in military prison, immediately triggered condemnation from politicians and others outside the organizers’ circles.

The organizers had invited approximately 100 recently released draft avoiders to participate, with roughly 50 ultimately attending, according to sources. Each was expected to receive a cash payment following the event in recognition of his refusal to serve. Some sources put the payment at NIS 1,000 per participant.

The event had been coordinated in advance with police, although uniformed officers were largely absent from the procession itself.

The scenes quickly became an election issue, with several opposition leaders using the march to attack Netanyahu’s government and its handling of the chareidi draft controversy.

Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot called it “Netanyahu’s march of shame.”

“In Netanyahu’s draft-dodging government, the deserters are the heroes. A government that promoted draft-dodging, abandons security, and for months does not even bother to arrest deserters can no longer remain at the helm of the State of Israel. Its days are numbered,” Eisenkot said.

Eisenkot added: “The upcoming elections are between a draft-dodging government and a Zionist conscription government. The State of Israel cannot afford another term of a draft-dodging government.”

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman issued a similarly sharp condemnation.

“In Yerushalayim, a welcoming procession is being held for ‘released’ deserters, as if they were just released after three years of fighting in Gaza. These are Netanyahu’s partners. Without the draft dodgers, Bibi has no government,” Liberman said.

Lieberman also demanded an investigation into the funding for the cash payments distributed to participants and called on Netanyahu and the defense minister to condemn the anti-IDF rhetoric.

Former prime minister and Beyachad chairman Naftali Bennett also seized on the event as part of his election campaign against the current government and chareidi political parties.

“This is exactly what the elections are about. Aryeh Deri has already announced that if he is elected again, he will take tens of billions of shekels more from the working public and transfer it to draft dodgers. I will stop all of this. With me, anyone who does not enlist will not receive a shekel from the state,” Bennett said.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, chairman of the Amcha Yisrael party, focused particularly on the description of the IDF as an “enemy army,” contrasting Tuesday’s scenes with reservists spending Yom Tov away from their families while serving.

“At a time when many reservists are spending the holidays in military service and their families are sitting alone around the holiday tables, the scenes of honor being given to deserters at the ‘deserters’ parade’ last night in Bnei Brak, alongside cries of ‘enemy army’ about the Israel Defense Forces today in Yerushalayim, demean and shame our fighters,” Winter said.

{Matzav.com}

The attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 on Wednesday offered a rare real-world glimpse into one of the Israeli Air Force’s most sensitive missions: determining, within minutes, whether an approaching civilian airliner is simply experiencing an emergency — or has been seized and could potentially be used as a weapon against Israel.

The system is designed around one overriding problem: when the first warning arrives, the military may have no idea what is actually happening aboard the aircraft. A communications failure, mechanical problem, medical emergency, confused pilot, hijacking or deliberate terror attack can initially produce similar warning signs. The Air Force therefore has to react before the cause is known.

That is what happened Wednesday when FZ1073, a Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 flying from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, began transmitting emergency signals while still well outside Israeli airspace.

Among the signals transmitted by the aircraft was transponder code 7500 — the internationally recognized code for “unlawful interference” with an aircraft. In aviation, the code can indicate that an aircraft has been hijacked or that someone aboard is attempting to seize control of it.

The signal immediately raised alarms in Israel. Contact with the aircraft was disrupted, its flight behavior became abnormal and Israeli Air Force fighter jets were scrambled as the security establishment worked to determine whether the aircraft represented a potential threat.

The plane ultimately diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Flydubai subsequently confirmed that the passengers were safe.

What Israeli authorities learned afterward made the initial alarm considerably more ominous.

According to the preliminary Israeli account, one of the pilots attacked and stabbed the captain inside the cockpit and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft. Passengers and other crew members forced their way into the cockpit, overpowered the alleged attacker and helped enable another pilot to regain control.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu subsequently said the alleged attacker “apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz has characterized the episode as an “attempted jihadist terrorist attack.” Saudi authorities and Flydubai have not publicly confirmed that characterization, and the investigation into the suspect’s motive and background is continuing.

But for the Israeli Air Force, the eventual explanation is largely irrelevant during the first critical minutes of such an incident.

The moment an Israel-bound civilian aircraft begins behaving abnormally, military officials have to consider the possibility that the plane itself could pose a threat. They cannot wait to determine whether the cause is a malfunction, medical crisis, human error or hostile takeover before beginning defensive preparations.

Israel consequently maintains procedures specifically intended for suspicious or unexplained incidents involving civilian aircraft approaching its airspace.

Those procedures are not activated only after someone explicitly reports, “This aircraft has been hijacked.” An unexplained deviation from an assigned route, loss of radio communications, unusual flight behavior or an emergency transponder code can all trigger escalating scrutiny and a military response.

Aircraft transponders provide controllers with several internationally recognized emergency codes. Squawk 7700 indicates a general emergency. Code 7600 signifies a communications failure. Code 7500 indicates unlawful interference — most commonly associated with a hijacking.

FZ1073 reportedly transmitted 7700 before switching to 7500 as the emergency unfolded.

A 7500 signal is especially serious because pilots are trained to use it discreetly when circumstances permit. It allows a cockpit crew to alert air traffic controllers to unlawful interference without necessarily having to announce over the radio that a hijacking is underway.

But even 7500 does not, by itself, establish precisely what is happening aboard the aircraft. Controllers and military officials must still establish contact if possible, examine the aircraft’s course, altitude and behavior, communicate with surrounding aviation authorities and determine whether the crew remains in command.

Israel’s geographical size adds urgency to that process. An aircraft traveling at normal jetliner speeds can cover enormous distances in a matter of minutes, leaving relatively little time between the identification of a potentially hostile aircraft and its arrival near heavily populated areas.

The Air Force therefore maintains a continuous picture of aircraft operating around Israel and keeps forces capable of moving rapidly from routine monitoring to an operational response.

Once an aircraft is considered suspicious, fighter jets can be scrambled to intercept it.

An interception serves several purposes. Fighters can visually identify the aircraft, observe its condition and behavior, attempt to communicate with its crew and, when appropriate, escort it. At the same time, commanders on the ground continue receiving and evaluating information from military radar, civilian air traffic control and other relevant authorities.

Depending upon the circumstances, authorities can also alter civilian traffic patterns, restrict portions of the airspace or take other defensive measures while the aircraft’s status is being determined.

The goal is to answer several urgent questions as rapidly as possible: Who is flying the plane? Is the cockpit crew responding? Is the aircraft following instructions? Why did it deviate from its expected behavior? Is it attempting to land safely, or is it approaching Israel in a manner that could constitute a threat?

The fighter aircraft are therefore only the most visible part of a much larger response taking place simultaneously in the air and on the ground.

Senior military and political officials may also be drawn into the decision-making process depending on the severity of the incident. Wednesday’s Flydubai emergency triggered high-level consultations involving Netanyahu, Katz and senior defense officials while the aircraft’s status remained uncertain.

The Israeli Air Force routinely drills scenarios involving suspicious civilian aircraft precisely because there may be very little time to make decisions and incomplete information on which to make them.

Such exercises focus heavily on what the military describes as rapidly “closing the loop” — moving from the first indication of abnormal behavior to identification, information gathering and an appropriate operational response.

The process also explains why the scrambling of Israeli fighter jets does not mean authorities have concluded that a plane has been hijacked.

A civilian aircraft suffering a communications malfunction can appear suspicious. So can an aircraft whose pilots accidentally deviate from their assigned route. A serious mechanical failure can cause sudden changes in altitude or direction. A medical emergency can result in an unexpected diversion.

During the opening moments, military officials may be unable to distinguish among those possibilities.

Wednesday’s incident demonstrated that uncertainty in dramatic fashion. Early in the emergency, Israeli officials stressed that they did not yet have verified information proving that FZ1073 had been hijacked. Reports initially ranged from a cockpit altercation to a technical problem to possible unlawful interference.

As testimony from passengers and information from the cockpit emerged, Israeli officials increasingly came to view the incident as a deliberate attack.

Passengers described the aircraft plunging rapidly as the confrontation unfolded. Flight-tracking data showed the jet losing roughly 14,000 feet during the emergency, while passengers rushed toward the cockpit after hearing screams.

The alleged attacker was eventually subdued, reportedly with passengers using cables from the aircraft’s entertainment headphones to restrain him. A doctor and nurse aboard the flight treated the wounded captain, while additional pilots helped stabilize the aircraft and divert it to Saudi Arabia.

A senior Israeli official later said that “an extremely serious disaster was averted.”

Yet the military response began before Israeli authorities knew any of that.

From the Air Force’s perspective, an unexplained aircraft approaching Israel cannot simply be presumed harmless while officials wait for additional information. The threat has to be treated seriously until enough information has been gathered to determine otherwise.

That philosophy reflects one of the central lessons international aviation authorities absorbed from the September 11 attacks: a hijacked passenger aircraft may itself become the weapon. Once that possibility exists, the question is no longer solely how to rescue an aircraft in distress, but whether the aircraft could threaten people on the ground.

The Flydubai episode ultimately ended without the aircraft entering Israel under hostile control. FZ1073 diverted to Saudi Arabia, landed safely, and its passengers survived.

But for the Israeli Air Force, the response began much earlier — with a few digits transmitted from a civilian aircraft in the sky.

Until commanders knew why that code had appeared, they had to prepare for the possibility that the plane heading toward Israel was no longer simply a passenger flight.

[COMMUNICATED]

Three kedoshei elyon had one common concept when it came to learning Torah – they were the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh (Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar 1696-1743) when he came to Eretz Yisroel; the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707-1746) when he lived in Padua, Italy;  and Hagaon, Harav Chaim Volozhiner, (1749-1821) the famous talmid of the Gaon of Vilna.

They each had a yeshiva with ‘around-the-clock’ Torah learning, 24-hours a day, so that there would be no minute when the sound of Torah learning would not be heard in this world. The 24-hour period would be divided into shifts, and as one ended the next would begin.

Torah-24

A “Torah-24” Center has been opened in Yerushalayim and the Nasi is Maran Sar Hatorah, Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l.

• The first “Torah-24” center is in Yerushalayim

• 11 Kollelim with 163 avreichim will be learning at “Torah-24” every day

• Nigleh, Nistar, Chumash and Halacha – All under ONE ROOF

• Talmud Bavli / Yerushalmi – Kabbalah & Zohar – Rambam, Shulchan Aruch & Poskim, Zeraim – Taharos 

• The following SIX kollelim – Kollel Hashkomas Haboker, Kollel Yerushalmi, Kollel Bavli, Kollel Choshen Mishpat/Even Haezer, Kollel Erev Shabbos, Kollel Kabbalah B’Chatzos (Tikun Chatzot, Etz Chaim, Zohar, Tehillim) – are fully operational

• 24 hour תורה learning cycle – 6:00 am to 6:00 am – is divided into different shifts

• Each kollel shift has its own program, Rosh Kollel and avreichim

• Detailed monthly and annual tests – written and oral – for all avreichim 

• Already there are 77 avreichim metzuyonim, and a large number of candidates are vying for the remaining slots in the kollelim. All the avreichim are required to take rigorous monthly tests.

In the words of Gedolei Torah:

“Torah-24 תורה” – where the voice of Torah is not absent from within the walls of the kollelim, not even for a minute…

“The idea … of day and night shifts of non-stop kollelim… the full range of subjects of the Torah… the derech of the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh and Hagaon Reb Chaim of Volozhin.”

– Nasi Maran Sar Hatorah, Hagaon Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l

“All who donate to and support “Torah-24 תורה” will merit all the brochos of the Torah, including those for refuos, yeshuos, parnossa tova and nachas from all their descendants, Amen”

– Maran Rosh Yeshivas Ponevez, Hagaon Harav Gershon Edelstein, zt”l

At “Torah-24 תורה”, exceptional avreichim do not pause for a moment while studying all the areas of the holy Torah, with a shift of remarkable scholars studying the holy Zohar and the recitation of Tikun Chatzos at midnight. 

All who donate and support this holy endeavor of “Torah-24 תורה” should see brocha and success … children and grandchildren immersed in Torah and mitzvos… fulfillment of all the hopes of their hearts for good and with brocha. 

– Maran Hagaon Harav Moishe Sternbuch, shlit”a 

I join the esteemed Rabbanim and Gaonim, shlit”a, in endorsing the illustrious “Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” designated for outstanding talmidei chachomim, masters of Torah and yiras Shomayim, who spend their nights in Beis Hashem, engaging deeply in the concealed dimensions of Torah during this auspicious time of Divine Favor…

I hereby call upon my generous brethren to support this endeavor with significant sums, for through this they will attain the great merit of the hidden Torah studied at night. May you all be blessed by Hashem with many blessings in accordance with the greatness of the endeavor that you are supporting!

– Maran Hagaon Hamekubal, Harav Yaakov Meir Shechter, shlit”a

“Support ‘Torah-24 תורה’ where the sound of Torah – nigleh and nistar – all hours of the day and night; and be blessed from shamayim that the Torah should never cease from your mouth; children bnei Torah; abundant parnassa and good health”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Badani, zt”l
Rosh Kollel Torah V’Chaim, Member Moetzet Chachmei Hatorah

“Torah-24 תורה” – groups of talmidei chachomim geonim in different shifts, delve in the subjects of Torah learning without interruption – Bavli, Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbala, Midrash, Tana”ch and more.  “Torah-24 תורה” is in actuality a wonderful continuation of the heichalei hakodesh and battei midrash of our holy Rabbonim – the Ramchal, the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh and the Nefesh Hachaim, zy”o. Who would not want to be part of this historical and amazing project “Torah-24 תורה”, and the greatness of its holy impact in both the supernal and lower realms?  “My brocha to all who support “Torah-24 תורה” – You should merit great abundance in both the spiritual and the material – supernal light, peace of mind, tranquility of the soul and bodily health. Only goodness and kindness should pursue you all the days of your lives, and you should dwell securely for your length of days.

– Maran Hamashpia Hagadol, ‘Reb Meilech’ Biderman, shlit”a

“Your kesher with ‘Torah-24 תורה’ will be a true ובהם נהגה יומם ולילה – and we will delve in them by day and by night”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shraga Steinman, shlit”a – Orchos Torah

“Talmidei Chachomim of ‘Torah-24 תורה’ delve into all sectors of Torah – Bavli and Yerushalmi, Dalet Chelkei Shulchan Aruch, Rambam, Kabbalah – Nistar”

– Maran Hagaon Harav Shimon Gallai, shlit”a – Bnei Brak

Kollel Kabbalah b’Chatzos” is a precious link in the golden chain of the glorious Torah empire “Torah-24”… bringing tremendous delight to the Ribbono shel Olam. Fortunate are all those who take part in this great and holy endeavor.

– Maran HaMekubal Rav Abish Zehnwirth, shlit”a

For more “Torah-24” information click on: www.torah-24.com or call 718-766-5022