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[Video below.] Israeli Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu said Wednesday night that it remains too early to determine whether Iran was involved in the attempted attack aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel, as investigators continue probing the co-pilot accused of stabbing the captain and trying to crash the plane.

Speaking with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Netanyahu praised Yaniv Hayoun, the Israeli passenger who rushed toward the cockpit during the terrifying midair emergency and helped overpower the attacker.

“I met with this Israeli, this unbelievable Israeli, his name is Yaniv, who did this thing. And I asked him, you know, how did you do it? And he said, well, I just had to do it,” Netanyahu told Hannity. “I had to act to save his family was there.”

The incident unfolded aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which was carrying 174 passengers when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a knife. The aircraft then entered a rapid descent before passengers and crew managed to intervene.

Netanyahu said Hayoun’s actions helped avert a catastrophe.

“He acted with coolness of judgment and heroism that is just tremendous courage that prevented another 9/11,” he said.

Despite suffering stab wounds, the captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter. Hayoun, who had been seated in row 16, rushed forward and helped wrestle the attacker away from the controls.

Other passengers and crew members assisted in restraining the suspected attacker, while additional pilots aboard the aircraft helped regain control of the plane.

The aircraft was ultimately diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The passengers were later able to continue their journey to Israel.

“I spoke earlier today with President Trump, who really was appreciative of this,” Netanyahu said.

Asked directly whether Israel had any indication at this stage that Iran was connected to the cockpit attack, Netanyahu said investigators had not yet reached that conclusion.

“Well, it’s too early to say,” Netanyahu responded. “The attacking pilot is now being investigated in Saudi Arabia. I think he’ll be taken to the Emirates, where he comes from, or at least where he left, where he flew off from.”

The suspect remained in Saudi custody as investigators worked to establish his motive, background and whether he acted alone or had any connection to an outside organization or state.

Israeli officials have continued following the investigation closely, while Flydubai has urged against speculation before the probe is completed.

Netanyahu also used the Hannity interview to discuss a separate suspected Iranian-linked security incident in Britain involving RAF Fairford.

He said Israeli intelligence had warned British authorities about a planned attack and sharply criticized London over subsequent sanctions imposed on Israel.

“You want to hear how absurd things are there and how far the anti-Israel propaganda has gone,” Netanyahu said. “We gave the Brits the intel that there was going to be an attack and it’s an Iranian-sponsored attack and pretty much the next day they slapped sanctions on us.”

“The caving in, the collapse before the Islamist-Marxist alliance is very dangerous for the future of the West,” he added.

As for the Flydubai attack, Netanyahu stressed that the investigation remains ongoing and that it is still too early to determine whether Tehran or any other outside actor played a role.

{Matzav.com}

Michigan’s U.S. Senate race is virtually deadlocked, with Democrat Abdul El-Sayed holding a one-point advantage over Republican Mike Rogers among likely voters in a new Fox News poll, 50% to 49%. The gap is within the survey’s margin of error.

Among registered voters, El-Sayed leads Rogers 51% to 48%, reversing an August Fox News result in which Rogers held a 51% to 47% advantage.

El-Sayed’s supporters also appear somewhat firmer in their choice. Eighty-seven percent say they are certain they will support him, compared with 80% of Rogers’ backers. Overall, 15% of voters say they could still change their minds before Election Day.

The poll found significant concerns surrounding both candidates. Thirty-nine percent of voters said they are extremely concerned that Rogers is too closely aligned with President Donald Trump, while 36% said they are extremely concerned that El-Sayed is too liberal.

The candidates also post similar favorability numbers, with 47% viewing El-Sayed favorably and 44% saying the same of Rogers.

El-Sayed performs especially well among women, Black voters, college graduates and voters under 45, while Rogers is stronger among men, rural voters, White evangelical Christians, married voters and White voters without college degrees.

Both candidates have consolidated most of their respective party bases. Rogers receives the support of 95% of Republicans, including 99% of MAGA Republicans and 88% of non-MAGA Republicans. El-Sayed has the backing of 93% of Democrats, including 98% of DSA Democrats and 90% of other Democrats.

Independents narrowly favor El-Sayed.

When voters were asked which party they would prefer to control the Senate, Democrats held a 52% to 47% advantage.

Still, some voters who backed El-Sayed’s Democratic primary opponent, Rep. Haley Stevens, have not moved behind him. Eleven percent of likely voters who supported Stevens in the primary now say they intend to vote for Rogers.

Economic issues remain a major factor in the contest. The cost of living ranks among the most important concerns for Michigan voters, while immigration is another issue producing a sharp divide between supporters of the two candidates.

El-Sayed narrowly defeated Stevens in the Democratic primary after a contentious campaign in which Israel emerged as one of the clearest areas of disagreement.

El-Sayed has repeatedly attacked Israel’s conduct in Gaza and has opposed unconditional U.S. military assistance to Israel.

In a recent television interview, he described Israel’s military actions as “bloodthirsty” and accused Israeli leaders of genocide.

In another interview, El-Sayed acknowledged that Hamas had committed war crimes while continuing to accuse the Israeli government of grave wrongdoing.

He has also repeatedly declined to directly say whether Israel has a right to exist when pressed on the issue, instead arguing that Israel already exists and redirecting the discussion toward U.S. policy and Palestinian rights.

In another interview, El-Sayed described Israel’s leadership as “as evil as Hamas.”

El-Sayed has also faced criticism over remarks he made following the March attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township near Detroit.

Authorities said the attacker rammed a vehicle into the synagogue complex in an assault that investigators later said was inspired by Hezbollah. The attacker died at the scene.

El-Sayed condemned the attack and antisemitism, but while discussing the circumstances surrounding it, he also said that “violence is a cycle” and that “hurt people hurt people.”

Critics argued that those remarks could be interpreted as offering an explanation or justification for the attack.

El-Sayed later apologized to members of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus, acknowledging that his comments had been inappropriate in the immediate aftermath of the assault and stressing that there was no justification for terrorism.

The Fox News survey was conducted in late September among more than 1,200 registered Michigan voters, including more than 1,000 likely voters. The margin of error among likely voters is approximately three percentage points, leaving the El-Sayed-Rogers contest statistically tied.

Residents of the Jerusalem Estates at the Schneller complex in Yerushalayim were issued a sharp warning on Wednesday after a late-night party with loud outdoor music triggered numerous complaints and repeated attempts to summon police.

In a notice addressed to homeowners and renters, the building management and Vaad Habayit said the disturbance continued late into the night and affected a large number of residents throughout the complex.

According to the notice, police were contacted repeatedly over the noise, but officers were unable to respond because of the unusually high volume of complaints being handled over Sukkos.

The complex’s security guards also approached the party on multiple occasions and asked that the music be shut off, the notice said, but those requests were not honored.

Management appealed to residents, tenants and guests to show greater consideration for their neighbors, noting that many residents are elderly and that numerous families have young children who need to sleep.

The issue was especially acute because of Sukkos, the notice said, when many residents are sleeping outdoors in their sukkahs and are therefore even more exposed to late-night noise.

“Loud music continuing into the early hours makes it extremely difficult for others to rest in their own homes and sukkahs,” the notice stated.

The management subsequently imposed a clear cutoff, asking that there be no music after midnight, especially in outdoor areas, including balconies, sukkahs, gardens and other spaces where sound could disturb neighboring residents.

“We all share this community, and a little consideration goes a long way,” the notice said, urging residents to make sure that family members, tenants and guests are also aware of the quiet-hour rules.

{Matzav.com}

[Video below.] A 66-year-old woman was rescued Wednesday afternoon after her vehicle plunged approximately five meters — about 16 feet — into the yard of a private home in Yerushalayim’s Gilo neighborhood, overturning on its side and trapping her inside.

The unusual accident occurred on De la Pergola Street, where the vehicle went over a steep drop and landed in a private garden below.

Fire and rescue crews from the Yerushalayim District were dispatched to the scene and found the driver trapped inside the overturned vehicle.

Firefighters immediately began working to extricate her, carrying out the rescue carefully because of the vehicle’s position following the fall.

The woman was successfully removed from the car while conscious and was transferred to medical personnel at the scene in light-to-moderate condition.

Incident commander Omri Avraham said, “When we arrived at the scene, we saw a private vehicle that had overturned after plunging from a considerable height of about five meters into a yard.”

“We acted quickly and carefully to free the driver who was trapped inside the vehicle. Fortunately, we were able to extricate her while she was conscious and hand her over for further medical treatment,” he said.

Police traffic investigators in the Yerushalayim District opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

Israeli investigators are examining whether the flydubai co-pilot accused of attacking the captain of Flight FZ1073 deliberately waited until the aircraft was near Jordan before attempting to seize control — potentially as part of a plan to crash the passenger jet inside Israel.

The disturbing possibility emerged alongside a new report that Shin Bet Director David Zini had spent weeks warning that security arrangements at airports in the United Arab Emirates were inadequate, and had insisted that Israeli airlines not resume service to the UAE until the deficiencies were addressed.

According to a report by Amit Segal on Channel 12, the Shin Bet had conducted its own assessment of the security perimeter surrounding Israeli airline operations in the Emirates and concluded that the existing arrangements did not provide sufficient protection.

That assessment reportedly triggered a significant dispute in recent weeks between Zini and Israeli airlines eager to resume service to the UAE. Zini resisted pressure to lift the restrictions, maintaining that Israeli carriers should remain grounded on the route until the security concerns were resolved.

The warnings have taken on new significance following Wednesday’s extraordinary events aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, when the co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar before apparently attempting to send the Boeing 737 MAX into a catastrophic descent.

Flight-tracking data shows that the aircraft was cruising at approximately 34,000 feet before suddenly plunging. Publicly available data indicates that the jet lost roughly half of its altitude in less than two minutes during the most violent portion of the emergency.

The aircraft initially transmitted the emergency squawk code 7700, indicating a general emergency, and subsequently transmitted 7500 — the international transponder code indicating unlawful interference with an aircraft.

The plane briefly entered Jordanian airspace before turning back toward Saudi Arabia, where it ultimately landed safely in Tabuk after passengers and other crew members managed to overpower the alleged attacker.

Israel is now examining whether the location of the aircraft when the alleged takeover began was coincidental or whether it was itself part of the plan.

One scenario under investigation is that the co-pilot intended to gain control of the aircraft while it was over or near Jordan and then rapidly turn toward Israel, leaving Israeli authorities only a very short period to react before the aircraft could reach Israeli territory.

Officials have stressed that this remains an investigative theory and has not been established as the attacker’s actual plan. The motive for the cockpit attack has also not yet been officially determined, and investigators are examining whether the co-pilot acted alone or had assistance or direction from others.

The exact weapon used in the attack also remains unclear. Israeli reports have variously described it as a knife or a small ax, and investigators are expected to focus heavily on how any weapon capable of inflicting the captain’s injuries could have reached the cockpit.

That question is where Zini’s earlier concerns about airport security in the UAE could become particularly significant.

Although the incident occurred aboard a foreign airline and the alleged attacker was himself a member of the flight crew, Segal reported that Israeli aviation security procedures might have provided another layer of protection capable of detecting or preventing such an attack, particularly if investigators determine that the weapon was brought aboard before departure from Dubai.

Israel’s aviation-security system subjects flights and personnel to measures that go beyond the standard screening procedures used at many international airports. The flydubai incident is now expected to trigger a broader examination of the threat posed by insiders with authorized access to aircraft.

The security concerns raised before Wednesday’s attack reportedly did not center specifically on a rogue pilot attempting to seize his own aircraft. Instead, Israeli intelligence had been dealing with a sharp increase in general warnings about possible attacks, including concerns about an assault at an airport or missile fire targeting aviation.

According to Segal, a scenario in which a member of a flight crew would attack another pilot and attempt to use the aircraft itself as a weapon had not previously emerged in the discussions or threat scenarios known to him.

Wednesday’s incident has now placed that possibility squarely on the table.

Israeli fighter jets were scrambled during the emergency as authorities initially confronted the possibility that the Israel-bound aircraft had been hijacked. The plane ultimately turned toward Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely and the alleged attacker was taken into Saudi custody.

Nearly all of the roughly 170 passengers aboard were Israeli. Passengers and crew members who gained access to the cockpit subdued the co-pilot, while additional flydubai pilots who happened to be traveling aboard the aircraft subsequently helped bring the situation under control.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority has officially described what occurred aboard FZ1073 as a “security incident” and confirmed that crew members were injured and taken to a Saudi hospital. Emirati authorities said an investigation is underway into both the operational and security circumstances surrounding the incident.

Flydubai has likewise said that the motive and underlying circumstances remain under formal investigation and has cautioned against drawing conclusions before investigators establish the facts.

The incident is also highlighting the unusual division of responsibilities surrounding flights between Israel and foreign countries. Israel’s Transportation Ministry oversees regulatory aspects involving foreign airlines operating to and from Israel, while the Shin Bet is responsible for security surrounding Israeli airlines and their flights. The Mossad handles the broader effort to prevent international terrorist threats outside Israel.

That division helps explain why Zini’s warnings did not result in flydubai being barred from operating the Dubai-Israel route: his concerns had directly affected Israeli carriers whose security falls under the Shin Bet’s responsibility, while flydubai is a foreign airline operating under a different security framework.

The attack is now expected to force Israeli authorities to reassess that framework as well, including the screening of foreign flight crews, the security arrangements at airports serving Israel-bound flights and the possibility that someone with legitimate cockpit access could himself pose the threat.

The most ominous question remains what the alleged attacker intended to do had the passengers and crew not stopped him. Israeli investigators are now trying to determine whether the terrifying plunge aboard FZ1073 was simply an attempt to bring down the aircraft wherever it happened to be — or whether the jet’s proximity to Jordan and Israel was part of a far more calculated plan.

{Matzav.com}

Saudi Arabia provided food, medical assistance and reportedly warm treatment to the Israeli passengers stranded in Tabuk following the dramatic flydubai cockpit attack, but drew a firm line at allowing Israeli military aircraft to land on Saudi soil to bring them home.

Behind the scenes, the Mossad maintained continuous contact with Saudi authorities as Israel worked to evacuate the passengers of flydubai Flight FZ1073, which made an emergency landing in Tabuk after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to bring down the aircraft.

Nearly 180 passengers, most of them Israelis, suddenly found themselves inside a country that has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Despite the unusual circumstances, the Saudis received the passengers, provided them with food and arranged medical treatment for those who required it.

Israel initially sought permission to dispatch Israeli Air Force Hercules transport planes to Tabuk to retrieve the passengers. Riyadh, however, refused to permit the military aircraft to land, reportedly concerned that photographs of Israeli Air Force planes sitting openly at a Saudi airport would be viewed as a highly public demonstration of normalization between the two countries.

Israeli officials then explored another possibility: sending an unmarked Israeli civilian aircraft instead of a military plane.

According to Ynet, the Mossad came close to securing Saudi approval for a so-called “white plane” — an Israeli civilian aircraft without conspicuous identifying markings — that could have flown into Tabuk and brought the stranded Israelis home without the political symbolism of an Israeli military aircraft landing in the kingdom.

That plan ultimately became unnecessary after the passengers agreed to board a replacement aircraft dispatched by flydubai. Some passengers had initially resisted getting back onto another plane belonging to the same airline after the terrifying ordeal they had just survived and hoped that an Israeli aircraft would instead come for them.

After discussions at the airport, the passengers eventually boarded the flydubai rescue flight, which departed Tabuk and landed safely at Ben Gurion Airport later Wednesday.

An Israeli official said the Saudi reluctance to allow an identifiable Israeli aircraft onto its soil reflected the delicate reality of the relationship between Yerushalayim and Riyadh. The two countries cooperate on a range of regional security matters but still lack formal diplomatic relations, and Saudi leaders remain highly sensitive to domestic and regional reaction to visible signs of cooperation with Israel.

“The kingdom is now benefiting from a security connection, thereby paying no price and only gaining,” the senior official said, adding that Israel should find ways to translate the growing behind-the-scenes relationship into diplomatic gains as well.

The circumstances surrounding the emergency landing are themselves being viewed by Israeli officials as another unusual chapter in the steadily developing, though still unofficial, relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The alleged attack aboard FZ1073 was not directed at Saudi Arabia. The flight was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv and was near the Saudi-Jordanian border when the cockpit crisis erupted. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft transmitting a general emergency code and later the 7500 transponder code signaling unlawful interference before turning toward Tabuk.

Saudi air traffic authorities cleared the aircraft for an emergency landing, and Saudi security and medical personnel were waiting when it arrived. The wounded captain, Smit Machchhar, was taken for medical treatment, while the co-pilot accused of attacking him was detained by Saudi authorities for questioning.

Israeli officials have expressed appreciation for the way Saudi Arabia handled both the aircraft and its Israeli passengers, particularly given the absence of diplomatic relations between the countries.

The episode follows other instances of quiet Saudi assistance to Israeli aviation. Since the October 7 massacre and the upheaval that followed across the region, Saudi Arabia has permitted flydubai aircraft traveling to and from Israel to use Saudi airspace, providing an important corridor for the Emirati carrier.

At the same time, security cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia against common regional threats has reportedly continued to deepen away from public view.

That cooperation has recently included the threat posed by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, whose missiles and drones have increasingly threatened Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region.

Despite recent complications in the regional diplomatic picture following Saudi Arabia’s defense arrangements with Turkey and Pakistan, Riyadh reportedly approached Israel through the United States Central Command seeking Israeli intelligence assistance against the Houthis.

Israeli assessments indicate that Yerushalayim responded positively to the Saudi request, reflecting the overlapping security interests of the two countries despite their lack of formal relations.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have also recently moved to deepen their own military coordination under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, with senior military officials discussing greater intelligence sharing and joint efforts to confront regional threats, including Houthi attacks.

The extraordinary events in Tabuk therefore exposed both sides of the complicated Israeli-Saudi relationship: Saudi authorities were willing to accept an Israel-bound aircraft in distress, care for nearly 180 mostly Israeli passengers, detain and investigate the suspected attacker and cooperate with Israeli officials behind the scenes — while still refusing to allow the highly visible sight of Israeli military aircraft landing on Saudi soil.

{Matzav.com}

Aviation and security experts examining the extraordinary ordeal aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073 say the safe outcome bordered on miraculous, as a commercial jet carrying 174 people survived a violent cockpit attack, an extraordinarily rapid loss of altitude and a desperate struggle for control before ultimately landing safely in Saudi Arabia.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv Wednesday when the crisis erupted at cruising altitude. Israeli officials say the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit, stabbing him and apparently attempting to bring down the aircraft. Flydubai has confirmed that an “altercation” occurred on the flight deck but says the motive remains under formal investigation.

What followed was an almost unimaginable convergence of circumstances that aviation specialists say prevented the episode from ending catastrophically: the wounded captain was apparently able to release the cockpit door, passengers and crew managed to reach the flight deck, an Israeli passenger physically subdued the alleged attacker, and additional flydubai pilots happened to be aboard the aircraft and were able to assume control.

Flight-tracking data underscored just how close the aircraft came to disaster. The jet was cruising at approximately 34,000 feet when it suddenly plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to Reuters. Other tracking measurements covering a somewhat longer interval showed the aircraft falling from approximately 34,000 feet to around 17,000 feet.

The aircraft transmitted emergency transponder signals during the crisis, including the 7500 code associated with unlawful interference or hijacking. Israel scrambled fighter aircraft as authorities attempted to determine what was unfolding aboard the Tel Aviv-bound jet.

Passengers described being thrown around as the aircraft descended violently, with some convinced that they were experiencing their final moments. Chaim Nazarovitz said that for a moment he felt as though he was “not among the living,” while passenger Naama Bershadski recalled closing her eyes, praying and thinking, “We’re going to die.”

Yet even as the aircraft was dropping, a series of extraordinary developments was unfolding at the front of the cabin.

Yaniv Hayoun, an Israeli plumber seated near the front of the aircraft, rushed toward the cockpit with others after passengers became aware that a pilot had been stabbed. According to Hayoun, the wounded captain was on the other side of the cockpit door and had apparently managed to activate the release that allowed the passengers to get inside.

Hayoun and others then fought with the alleged attacker and dragged him away from the aircraft’s controls. With the jet still descending, Hayoun grabbed the controls himself and pulled back on them, relying on what he remembered from watching the aviation-disaster television program “Mayday,” also known as “Air Crash Investigation.”

When Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu later asked Hayoun whether he knew what he was doing, the blood-covered passenger gave an extraordinary answer: “I watch Air Crash Investigation, Mr Prime Minister.”

That intervention bought critical time until qualified pilots could take over.

In another remarkable circumstance, two additional flydubai pilots were traveling aboard FZ1073. Airlines routinely transport flight crews as passengers when they need to reposition personnel, but their presence on this particular flight meant that trained pilots were immediately available after the cockpit attack. Flydubai said on-duty crew traveling aboard the aircraft ultimately secured the jet, diverted it and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

Aviation experts say the episode also illustrates an unusual vulnerability created by the very security measures designed to protect modern commercial aircraft. Since the September 11 attacks, cockpit doors have been heavily reinforced to prevent hijackers from gaining access to pilots. In this case, however, the alleged threat originated inside the protected cockpit itself.

Stanislav Bukhman, head of risk at aviation-security firm Osprey Flight Solutions, said investigators will likely scrutinize several areas, including pilot vetting, crew screening and exactly how access to the cockpit was obtained during the emergency.

Cabin crews have emergency procedures that can permit access when pilots are incapacitated, although pilots who remain conscious normally retain the ability to deny such an entry request.

“This exists for situations where the pilots are incapacitated. There is a safeguard built in, though. If the pilots are conscious and operating normally, they can deny that request and keep the door locked. This is designed to protect the flight deck in a hijacking or hostage situation,” Bukhman explained.

“At this stage there isn’t enough information to say how the flight deck on FZ 1073 was accessed. The door may have been opened by the captain, who reportedly resisted the co-pilot’s attempt to take control, or by cabin crew using the emergency procedure.”

Investigators are also expected to focus intensely on one of the most troubling unanswered questions: how a knife or other bladed weapon apparently reached the cockpit of an Israel-bound commercial aircraft in the first place. Pilots and other crew members normally undergo airport security screening, and airlines also conduct employment, medical and background vetting of flight crews.

The incident is particularly striking because aviation security systems have spent decades concentrating on preventing outsiders from taking control of an aircraft. The FZ1073 episode appears to present the much more difficult scenario of a person authorized to sit at the controls allegedly becoming the threat himself.

There have been rare but devastating precedents involving pilots deliberately bringing down commercial aircraft. In 2015, the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 locked the captain outside the cockpit and deliberately flew the Airbus A320 into the French Alps, killing all 150 people aboard. The circumstances of the flydubai incident remain under investigation and should not be assumed to be the same, but the Germanwings disaster illustrates why an internal cockpit threat is especially difficult to stop.

In the case of FZ1073, the outcome was dramatically different because people outside the cockpit were able to intervene and trained replacement pilots were available aboard the aircraft.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that the flight suffered a security incident requiring an emergency diversion to Tabuk and that crew members were injured and taken to a Saudi hospital. Emirati authorities said investigators are examining both operational and security aspects of the incident and cautioned against reaching conclusions before the investigation is complete.

The alleged attacker was taken into Saudi custody. Authorities have not publicly established his motive, and flydubai has specifically cautioned that the reasons behind the cockpit incident remain unknown pending the investigation.

President Isaac Herzog described the survival of those aboard as a “great miracle,” while Netanyahu praised the passengers who intervened as heroes who prevented what he said could have been a major disaster.

For the passengers themselves, the description was even simpler.

After finally reaching Israel, passenger Lital Shachaf summed up the ordeal: “I just can say that it was a miracle.”

“It was awful, crazy, and we thank God that we survived it. We didn’t think we will make it but thank God we are in Israel.”

{Matzav.com}

Elon Musk is returning to a role in the Trump administration, this time as one of three high-profile figures chosen to help the Pentagon determine what weapons, technologies and battlefield capabilities American troops will need to fight the wars of the future.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will co-lead Project Meridian, a 120-day Pentagon initiative charged with looking years and even decades ahead at how warfare could change and what the United States will need to maintain a military advantage.

The project will operate under the direction of War Department Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael and will draw on additional experts from technology, business, academia, public policy and national security. Its findings are due in January 2027 and will be released in a public report accompanied by a classified annex.

Musk’s selection marks a return to government work after his earlier role leading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE. This time, however, his focus will be squarely on national defense and emerging military technology.

Hegseth said the Pentagon deliberately chose prominent figures from outside the traditional defense bureaucracy because predicting future wars requires perspectives beyond those of career military planners.

“The best forecasters of future conflict do not solely reside inside the Pentagon,” Hegseth said during his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico. “There are obvious biases and risks to asking ourselves to both ask the questions and answer them.”

Hegseth said Project Meridian would begin immediately. Following his address, he planned to meet with Musk, Luckey and Gingrich at a secure facility located only about 200 yards from where he delivered the speech.

Over the next 120 days, the group will “ruthlessly map the trajectory of wars, domains and technologies,” examining how conflict may evolve and identifying areas in which the United States could need new weapons or technological capabilities.

The scope is intentionally enormous. Hegseth said the examination will stretch “from under the Earth to beyond the moon.”

Project Meridian is expected to examine emerging fields including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, robotics, directed-energy weapons and biotechnology, as well as future battlefields extending from subterranean environments to space.

Rather than writing a new national military strategy, the panel has been directed to identify technological gaps and determine where American research, development and weapons procurement should be concentrated.

Hegseth said the group will seek to identify “the domains that we must conquer and capabilities we must master” while focusing on “discovering, developing and fielding” the systems future American forces may require.

Musk and Luckey bring particularly significant ties to the defense industry. Musk’s SpaceX is already a major Pentagon contractor, providing launch services, satellite capabilities and other technology used by the U.S. government and military.

Luckey founded Anduril Industries, one of the most prominent companies in the rapidly growing defense-technology sector. Anduril develops autonomous aircraft, drones, surveillance systems and artificial-intelligence-powered military technology and has secured major Pentagon contracts.

Their involvement gives Project Meridian direct access to executives working at the cutting edge of commercial and military technology. It could also raise conflict-of-interest questions because companies associated with Musk and Luckey currently do business with the Pentagon while the project will be examining which technologies the military should prioritize in the years ahead.

Gingrich brings a different background to the panel. The former Republican House speaker has spent decades writing and speaking about national security, technological change and the need for the United States to anticipate emerging military threats.

Project Meridian is only one component of a much larger Pentagon overhaul unveiled by Hegseth during Wednesday’s State of the Force address.

Hegseth also announced plans to establish Autonomous Warfare Command, or AUTOWARCOM, a new four-star command designed specifically to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous and robotic systems throughout the armed forces.

The command is expected to have what Hegseth described as “service-like authorities,” giving it substantial power to move technology from development into the hands of troops without becoming bogged down in the lengthy acquisition processes that have traditionally slowed Pentagon innovation.

The Pentagon’s goal is to have AUTOWARCOM established by October 2027. An interim effort known as Project Agincourt will begin laying the groundwork while Pentagon officials work with Congress on the authorities necessary to create the new command.

The War Department is also developing new military career tracks for personnel specializing in autonomous warfare, creating what Hegseth described as a new generation of “autonomous warfighters.”

“We should have been thinking about Autonomous Warfare Command ten years ago,” Hegseth said, explaining that Meridian is intended to look far enough ahead to anticipate the next technological transformation before the military falls behind.

The push reflects lessons learned from recent wars, particularly the extraordinary proliferation of inexpensive drones and autonomous systems. Conflicts in Ukraine and elsewhere have demonstrated how quickly relatively cheap unmanned aircraft can alter battlefield tactics and destroy equipment costing many times more.

Hegseth’s broader package includes six initiatives aimed at reshaping different aspects of the armed forces. Another program, called FORTRESS America, is intended to make American military installations and defense supply chains less vulnerable to foreign disruption.

Under that initiative, major U.S. military bases would eventually be capable of generating their own electricity independently of the civilian power grid, allowing installations to continue operating during a cyberattack, sabotage or other major disruption. The Pentagon also wants to strengthen domestic supplies of strategically important materials, including rare earth elements, semiconductors, specialty metals and propellants.

Hegseth also announced plans for a new major U.S. military installation, with states expected to compete to host the base, as well as an expanded military-college initiative and a new Office of Religious Affairs.

Wednesday’s address was the second annual State of the Force speech Hegseth has delivered at Quantico. Last year, he summoned generals, admirals and other senior commanders from around the world as he laid out major changes to military standards, personnel policies and what he calls the “warrior ethos.”

This year, Hegseth deliberately addressed younger leaders, including top-performing E-6 enlisted personnel and O-3 officers from across the services. He described them as the military’s “current and future leaders on the front lines.”

Hegseth also used the speech to reiterate his campaign to reverse diversity initiatives and other policies he says weakened military standards.

“We are no longer the woke department or the weak department,” Hegseth said. “No fatties, no trainees, no weirdos, no beardos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors.”

The War Secretary also launched a blistering attack on portions of the news media, accusing some journalists of allowing political agendas to influence coverage in ways that he said could jeopardize American military operations and personnel.

“It’s sick. It’s a national betrayal. It’s treason, actually,” Hegseth said.

For Musk, Project Meridian places him back inside a major Trump administration initiative — this time alongside one of America’s leading defense-technology entrepreneurs and a former speaker of the House, with just four months to produce a blueprint identifying the technologies that could shape American warfare for decades to come.

{Matzav.com}