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The Flydubai captain who was stabbed during an apparent attempt by his co-pilot to seize control of a Tel Aviv-bound passenger jet has been identified as Captain Smit Machchhar, a veteran Indian aviator with roughly 15 years of commercial flying experience and nearly 10,000 documented hours aboard Boeing 737 aircraft.
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Machchhar was commanding flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when a violent confrontation erupted inside the cockpit. Israeli officials say the Omani co-pilot stabbed Machchhar and apparently attempted to crash the Boeing 737 MAX 8 before passengers and other crew members managed to overpower him. Saudi authorities subsequently arrested the alleged attacker.
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Despite suffering serious stab wounds, Machchhar reportedly fought back and succeeded in opening the cockpit door, allowing others aboard the aircraft to intervene as the jet went into a terrifying uncontrolled descent.
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Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft suddenly plunging from its cruising altitude, losing more than 14,000 feet in approximately 37 seconds. Other tracking data indicated that during the broader sequence, the plane fell from roughly 34,000 feet to about 17,000 feet in under a minute while its speed surged dramatically.
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The aircraft initially transmitted the international 7700 general emergency code before later transmitting 7500, the transponder code used to signal a hijacking or unlawful interference aboard an aircraft.
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Machchhar, an Indian national based in Dubai, joined flydubai in June 2022 as a captain on the airline’s Boeing 737 fleet. Before moving to the Emirati carrier, he spent approximately 11 years flying for Indian low-cost airline SpiceJet.
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His professional record shows extensive experience with the Boeing 737-800 as well as the newer 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft.
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Machchhar’s publicly available professional profile lists approximately 9,750 hours on Boeing 737 aircraft. Given the additional years he has spent flying since those figures were recorded, reports have estimated that he has now surpassed 10,000 total flight hours.
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During his years at SpiceJet, Machchhar accumulated more than 9,500 hours of flight time, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot in command.
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His responsibilities extended beyond simply flying scheduled passenger services. Machchhar served as a training captain, training and mentoring other pilots and conducting checks of flight crews.
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That extensive cockpit experience became critical Wednesday morning as the situation aboard FZ1073 deteriorated with extraordinary speed.
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Israeli passengers described a chaotic struggle after the captain was stabbed and the aircraft began dropping sharply.
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One of the Israelis who helped overpower the alleged attacker described how passengers improvised with whatever they could find inside the cabin.
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“We neutralized him, the terrorist, using headphones, and a doctor who was on the flight helped the main pilot and stabilized him. It was insane.”
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Passengers said two additional pilots who happened to be traveling aboard the flight were able to enter the cockpit after the attacker was subdued and assume control of the aircraft.
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The plane was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.
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The aircraft’s tail sustained damage during the rapid and severe descent.
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Machchhar was taken for medical treatment following the emergency landing. Reports indicated that he underwent surgery and was in stable condition.
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The passengers were subsequently brought back to Israel.
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Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu personally praised Machchhar following the incident, calling the Indian captain a “hero.”
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“My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery,” Netanyahu said. “Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker – preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster. He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals.”
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“I wish Captain Machchhar a speedy and full recovery. He is a true hero,” he stated.
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Netanyahu also met with one of the Israeli passengers who helped overpower the attacker after the group returned to Israel, praising the passenger for his actions aboard the aircraft.
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The incident has also produced significant repercussions for flydubai’s Israel operations. The airline’s service to Israel was suspended for six days following the attempted attack while security arrangements and the circumstances surrounding the incident are examined.
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Flydubai has been one of the most significant foreign carriers serving Israel since the Abraham Accords, continuing to operate during periods when numerous international airlines suspended service because of regional security concerns.
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The circumstances surrounding the co-pilot’s alleged actions remain under investigation, including the motive behind the attack and how the confrontation inside the cockpit developed.
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Machchhar, meanwhile, entered Wednesday’s flight with approximately 15 years in commercial aviation, thousands of hours commanding Boeing 737 aircraft and experience training other pilots — a professional background that proved critical when the routine flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv suddenly became a fight to prevent a midair catastrophe.

{Matzav.com}

[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

Harrowing video from inside Flydubai Flight FZ1073 shows the aircraft’s gravely wounded captain lying drenched in blood and struggling to remain conscious after he was allegedly stabbed repeatedly by his copilot, who Israeli officials say then attempted to crash the Tel Aviv-bound passenger jet with 174 people aboard.

The injured captain has since been identified in multiple reports as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national and veteran Boeing 737 pilot who joined Flydubai in 2022 after spending roughly 11 years with SpiceJet. His precise medical condition has not been publicly disclosed by Saudi authorities, which have confirmed that both the captain and first officer were taken to a hospital after the aircraft landed in Tabuk.

Graphic footage recorded aboard the aircraft captures the bloody aftermath of the confrontation. Machchhar can be seen lying on his back in the galley, wearing an oxygen mask as passengers and others surround him. Blood covers parts of his clothing and the wall beside him.

His hand is pressed against his abdomen, where one of his wounds has been covered with a bandage already saturated with blood.

“No sleep. You want sleep?” an unseen man filming the chaotic scene asks the pilot in English, who weakly shakes his head no.

Elsewhere aboard the aircraft, another uniformed crew member — believed to be the copilot accused of carrying out the attack — can be seen restrained and apparently unconscious, his white uniform heavily stained with blood.

Passengers who had helped secure the aircraft could be heard documenting the scene and making clear that they were guarding the cockpit.

“Film us too – film ourselves – [showing] that we’re standing guard here. They attacked us, and we’re guarding the pilot here,” passengers can be heard speaking Hebrew in the video translated by The Post.

Another passenger described what had happened moments earlier and said those aboard were now preventing anyone from gaining access to the cockpit.

“They attacked us on this plane. They tried to murder the pilot. We took control of the crew. Why? This is the pilot they wanted to murder,” another man can be heard saying.

“Gili … my brother, well done. Film everything. We’re standing here. Nobody is getting through the pilot’s door. That’s what [they] wanted,” he says.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, on its morning flight from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport when the violent episode erupted. The aircraft ultimately diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Passengers have said that two additional pilots traveling aboard FZ1073 came forward during the crisis and helped regain control of the aircraft after the cockpit attack. Initial accounts have differed regarding the nationalities of those pilots, and Flydubai has not publicly identified them.

The flight had been airborne for roughly two hours when the aircraft abruptly plunged. Flight-tracking data examined by multiple outlets showed the jet falling from approximately 34,000 feet to around 17,000 feet in less than two minutes, although differing tracking services produced somewhat different measurements of the exact altitude loss.

The plane subsequently transmitted emergency transponder code 7700 before switching to 7500 — the internationally recognized code indicating unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled as security officials tried to determine what was happening aboard the approaching aircraft.

Israel has opened a terrorism investigation into the episode. Two Israeli officials told Reuters that the current assessment is that the copilot deliberately attempted to bring down the aircraft after stabbing the captain, rather than the incident being the result of a mental-health episode. Saudi authorities and Flydubai have not publicly confirmed Israel’s terrorism assessment.

One Israeli official gave an even more chilling description to Channel 12, saying that “one pilot stabbed the other and tried to do a 9/11.”

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu later said publicly that the copilot tried to “crash the plane with its passengers” and confirmed that the suspected attacker had been arrested after the emergency landing.

“He is currently being interrogated by the Saudi authorities. We are maintaining continuous contact with the relevant authorities to ensure the ongoing safety of the passengers and to guarantee their prompt return home,” Netanyahu said.

“I have instructed the security establishment to prepare for additional potential threats.”

Netanyahu said passengers and crew members intervened as the aircraft began plunging, overpowering the suspected attacker and allowing other pilots aboard the flight to regain control. He described the intervention as having prevented a major disaster.

The suspected copilot has been identified by Israeli sources as an Omani national. Reports said he had been employed by Flydubai for less than a year, though the airline has not publicly released his identity or confirmed those details.

The reported nationality has raised an additional security question because Oman does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Israeli authorities are now examining how the copilot was cleared to serve aboard a flight bound for Ben Gurion Airport, with the Mossad, Shin Bet, IDF and transportation authorities reportedly involved in reviewing the matter.

The wounded captain, meanwhile, has been identified as Machchhar, an experienced Indian aviator. Publicly available professional information indicates that he became a Flydubai captain in June 2022 after a lengthy career with SpiceJet, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain. He has nearly 10,000 hours of flying experience on Boeing 737 aircraft, according to his professional profile.

Videos recorded by passengers during and immediately after the attack have provided a firsthand picture of the chaos inside the aircraft.

“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing. Whoever is hearing me, we need help,” a passenger with blood streaming down his face said in a first-person video posted on X.

Other footage showed passengers rushing toward the cockpit, while those who had helped overpower the suspected attacker attempted to secure the area and assist the wounded captain.

One passenger later recorded a message to his family after the aircraft had reached Saudi Arabia, his clothes still stained with blood from the struggle.

“We’ve apparently landed in Saudi Arabia. There’s a pilot that’s seriously injured.

“They’re taking him to a hospital. There’s another terrorist who … we don’t know his condition, but he was involved somehow. It was rough. It was rough. We’ll be home in a few hours. I need a change of clothes. Everything is drenched in blood,” the man said.

The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk after Saudi air traffic control received a distress call and granted it an emergency landing. Saudi airport officials said both the captain and first officer were injured and transported for medical treatment.

The suspected attacker was taken into Saudi custody, while Israeli passengers were questioned about the extraordinary events aboard the aircraft.

The bloodied passenger who had helped during the crisis eventually ended his message home on an emotional note.

“That’s it. I love you. I’ll tell you what happened when we get back,” he added.

“Your dad is a hero. One of the heroes. [I didn’t do it] alone. I’ll see you later. I gotta let my heart rate go down.”

All 174 passengers stranded in Saudi Arabia after the suspected terror attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 are on their way back to Israel, after several shaken passengers who initially refused to set foot on another Flydubai aircraft ultimately agreed to board once Israeli security officials vetted and approved the replacement crew.

The replacement aircraft took off from Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday afternoon and was headed for Ben Gurion Airport, bringing an end to hours of uncertainty following the dramatic cockpit attack and emergency landing earlier in the day.

Several passengers had initially refused to board the replacement flight, saying they were too frightened to fly with Flydubai again after what they had experienced. Israeli officials intervened, and the Mossad examined the replacement flight crew before approving the aircraft for the return journey. The pilots assigned to the replacement flight were reported to be Australian and Ukrainian.

After receiving assurances from Israeli security officials, the remaining passengers agreed to join the others, allowing the replacement flight to depart Saudi Arabia with the entire group.

The passengers had been stranded in Tabuk since FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, diverted there following the extraordinary midair emergency. Israeli diplomatic and security officials maintained contact with Saudi authorities throughout the episode. The passengers were questioned in Saudi Arabia about what had occurred aboard the aircraft, but Israeli officials said none would be required to remain in the kingdom as part of the investigation.

The emergency began while FZ1073 was cruising toward Israel and suddenly transmitted a transponder code indicating unlawful interference aboard an aircraft — the internationally recognized signal associated with a possible hijacking.

Israeli authorities initially lost contact with the aircraft, prompting the Israeli Air Force to scramble fighter jets as senior officials attempted to determine whether a hijacked passenger plane could be approaching Israeli airspace. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and other senior defense officials held urgent security consultations as the crisis unfolded.

It subsequently emerged that a violent confrontation had erupted inside the cockpit.

According to Israel’s preliminary assessment, the copilot — identified in Israeli reports as an Omani national — attacked and repeatedly stabbed the captain and then attempted to deliberately bring down the Boeing 737 MAX 8. Saudi Arabia and Flydubai have not yet publicly confirmed the Israeli characterization of the incident as terrorism, and investigators are continuing to examine the suspect’s motive.

Israeli officials said evidence increasingly pointed toward a deliberate terrorist attack rather than an episode stemming from a personal dispute or mental-health crisis. Defense Minister Katz has described the incident as an attempted “jihadist terrorist attack,” saying Israel’s initial information indicated that the alleged attacker intended to crash the aircraft with everyone aboard.

Passengers and other flight crew members heard screams coming from the cockpit and rushed forward. Several passengers then entered the cockpit, joined the struggle and succeeded in dragging the alleged attacker away from the controls.

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

Tzvika Manes, CEO of Barak Capital Underwriting, was traveling with his wife and young daughters and was among three passengers who rushed into the cockpit and helped overpower the alleged attacker.

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

Manes subsequently provided a more detailed account, saying the passengers had difficulty restraining the suspected attacker because of his strength. With no conventional restraints available, they eventually tied him up using cables from the aircraft’s entertainment headphones.

Meanwhile, other passengers aboard the flight documented the immediate aftermath of the struggle.

In one video, a passenger with blood covering part of his face can be seen addressing the camera as the aircraft prepared for 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 aboard FZ1073, described how passengers reacted after discovering that a knife-wielding attacker had injured one of the pilots.

“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 and crew members securing the cockpit entrance after the attacker had been removed, while medical professionals among the passengers treated the wounded captain.

A doctor and nurse aboard the aircraft stabilized the injured pilot, according to Manes. Additional qualified pilots who were traveling aboard FZ1073 then helped take control of the plane after the alleged attacker was subdued.

Flight data captured the severity of what was happening in the air. The aircraft suddenly dropped approximately 14,000 feet — roughly 4,200 meters — in an extraordinarily short period during the cockpit struggle. FZ1073 descended from about 34,000 feet toward 20,000 feet as the emergency unfolded.

The aircraft initially transmitted squawk code 7700, signaling a general emergency, before switching to 7500, the code for unlawful interference. Contact was eventually established with Saudi authorities, and the aircraft diverted to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk.

The plane landed safely, and Saudi authorities took the suspected attacker into custody. Both pilots were taken to a hospital, while the passengers were brought into the terminal and questioned about what they had witnessed.

Netanyahu later said he spoke directly with one of the Israelis who intervened aboard the aircraft and praised those who entered the cockpit for preventing catastrophe.

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

Once the immediate danger had passed, Israeli officials faced the unusual challenge of bringing more than 170 Israelis home from Saudi Arabia, a country with which Israel has no formal diplomatic relations.

Israeli authorities considered several options, including sending an Israeli civilian or military aircraft to Tabuk. El Al also reportedly offered to operate a special rescue flight. Ultimately, however, Flydubai dispatched its own replacement aircraft.

That immediately produced anxiety among some of the passengers.

Manes said the reluctance was understandable after the ordeal they had just survived.

“It makes sense that people are afraid to fly with the same airline after going through something so traumatic,” he said.

The Mossad subsequently reviewed the replacement crew and approved the flight. Manes said he also personally checked the identities of the pilots and was told that one was Australian and the other Ukrainian.

With those assurances in place, the passengers who had initially refused to board changed their minds and joined the rest of the group.

The replacement Flydubai jet then departed Tabuk with all 174 passengers aboard, bringing the group home after a day that began with a routine flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv and turned into a bloody struggle for control of an aircraft thousands of feet above the Middle East.

An Israeli passenger who helped overpower the suspected attacker aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 has provided a gripping account of the battle inside the plunging aircraft, describing how three passengers rushed into the cockpit, wrestled the alleged attacker out and ultimately tied him up using headphone cables as other pilots fought to regain control of the plane.

Tzvika Manes, CEO of Barak Capital Underwriting and one of the men who physically subdued the suspected attacker, said the first indication of trouble came almost by chance, when his wife accompanied their young daughter to a restroom near the cockpit.

“My youngest daughter was in the bathroom, and my wife went with her. She heard shouting and strange noises coming from the cockpit,” Manes recalled.

His wife immediately alerted a relief pilot who was outside the cockpit, telling him that something appeared to be seriously wrong inside. When the cockpit door was opened, he encountered a violent struggle and called for assistance.

“He opened the door and began struggling with the attacker. We immediately jumped in and pulled him out,” Manes said. A pilot then entered the cockpit, followed later by another pilot.

As the struggle unfolded, the aircraft itself was rapidly losing altitude, throwing passengers around the cabin as screams erupted throughout the plane.

“We lost our angle. He was really trying to direct the aircraft toward the ground. People were being thrown around, and there were screams,” Manes said.

Flight-tracking data shows the Boeing 737 MAX 8, which had been cruising at roughly 34,000 feet, suddenly losing thousands of feet of altitude during the emergency. The aircraft also transmitted the international 7500 transponder code for unlawful interference aboard an aircraft.

Once Manes and the other passengers managed to drag the alleged attacker from the cockpit, they still had to keep him from breaking free. Manes said the man fought with considerable strength.

“We eventually tied him up and neutralized him. It took quite a lot of physical force. He is a strong man; he was probably running on adrenaline.”

With no handcuffs or other restraints readily available, the passengers improvised. According to Manes, they grabbed the cables attached to the aircraft’s in-flight entertainment headphones and used them to bind the suspect.

Meanwhile, the scene around them was covered in blood. The captain had suffered multiple stab wounds, and medical professionals who happened to be aboard the flight rushed to his aid.

“A doctor and a nurse who were on the flight stabilized the pilot, who had been stabbed all over his body,” Manes said.

Manes credited the wounded captain’s actions with helping make the rescue possible. By opening the cockpit door, he enabled those outside to realize what was happening and intervene. Once the alleged attacker had been removed, another flight crew member entered the cockpit and helped regain control of the aircraft.

In another account of the ordeal, Manes described the moment his wife first heard the disturbance.

“Suddenly she heard shouting, screaming and noise from the cockpit. She told the pilot who was outside, ‘Something is happening – get in, get in.’”

Once the cockpit door opened, Manes said there was no hesitation.

“He opened it, and then the three of us jumped in. We neutralized him, the attacker, and a doctor helped the captain and stabilized him,” Manes said.

Another pilot then took control while Manes and two other passengers concentrated on restraining the suspected attacker.

“I’m covered in blood. It was insane,” Manes recalled.

In a separate interview, Manes said his wife had called out specifically to a relief pilot sitting near the cockpit after hearing the commotion. “My wife was standing near the cockpit because our daughter was in the restroom. Suddenly, she heard shouting coming from the cockpit. She yelled to a relief pilot from who was sitting nearby: ‘Go in quickly, see what’s happening.’”

“He called for help, and two other men and I entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker. I’m covered in blood. It was insane,” Manes said.

According to Manes, the relief pilot who came forward was from Fiji, the wounded captain was from India, and the alleged attacker was an Omani pilot. Israeli officials have also said preliminary information indicates that the suspected attacker was Omani, though Flydubai has not publicly confirmed his identity or nationality.

Another passenger, Yitzhak Lieber, recorded himself aboard the aircraft after the attacker had been subdued, his face visibly bloodied as he described what had just happened.

“We are in the middle of a plane hijacking. At the moment, we have taken control of the attackers and we are about to land,” he said. “Anyone who can hear me, we need help. We are landing in Tabuk, apparently somewhere in Saudi Arabia, an unfamiliar and unknown area. Everyone on the plane is safe and well except for the pilot. We need help.”

Lieber gave another account of how passengers reacted after discovering that a knife-wielding man had attacked one of the pilots.

“We simply jumped in and pulled him out of the cockpit, a few of us. Everything is okay now,” he said, adding that the attacker had been subdued and crew members were inside the cockpit.

Lieber said the passengers then made certain the cockpit was secured after control of the aircraft had been restored.

“We made sure they closed the door.”

He also described the uncertainty surrounding the wounded flight crew as the aircraft prepared for its emergency landing.

“There is a pilot here who is seriously wounded. Apparently there is another pilot inside who is wounded, but he is managing to land the plane. There are two crew members from the aircraft.”

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu later said he had personally spoken with one of the Israeli passengers involved and was told that the aircraft had begun spiraling downward during the attack.

According to Netanyahu, one pilot stabbed the other and “apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.”

“I spoke with one of the Israeli passengers,” Netanyahu said. “He told me that the aircraft went into a spin and began to plunge. He told me that, one way or another, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and together they neutralized the stabbing pilot while he was trying to sabotage the aircraft’s systems.”

Netanyahu said another member of the flight crew was then able to take over the controls and stabilize the aircraft.

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

The suspected attacker was taken into custody after the aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, and Netanyahu said Saudi authorities were interrogating him. Israel has remained in contact with Saudi and other relevant authorities while seeking information about the suspect, his motive and whether he acted alone.

Defense Minister Israel Katz has gone further in characterizing the incident, calling it an “attempted jihadist terrorist attack.” Katz said Israel’s preliminary information indicates that the attacker intended to deliberately crash the aircraft with everyone aboard. Flydubai and Saudi authorities have not publicly confirmed that assessment, and no evidence has yet been disclosed tying the suspect to a terrorist organization or foreign government.

The ordeal continued even after the passengers were safely on the ground. With the group stranded in Saudi Arabia, Flydubai dispatched another aircraft to Tabuk to bring them to Israel. Israeli security officials vetted the replacement crew before approving the return flight.

For some passengers, however, boarding another aircraft operated by the same airline so soon after the ordeal was frightening.

“It makes sense that people are afraid to fly with the same airline after going through something so traumatic,” Manes said.

Manes said Israeli security officials spoke with the passengers and attempted to reassure them. He also personally checked the nationalities of the pilots assigned to the replacement flight and said he learned that one was Australian and the other Ukrainian.

For Manes, who was traveling with his wife and young daughters, the extraordinary nature of what happened was still sinking in hours later.

“This is a shocking event by any measure,” he said. “I’m here with my family, with young girls. It is traumatic for everyone.”

The passengers had boarded what was supposed to be a routine morning flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Instead, Manes found himself rushing toward a blood-soaked cockpit aboard a diving aircraft, joining two other passengers in overpowering a man they believed was trying to bring down the jet.

And with no restraints available after they pulled him out, the passengers reached for whatever they could find — the headphone cables at their seats — and used them to keep him tied down until the aircraft was safely on the ground.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Wednesday publicly described the terrifying events aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 for the first time, saying one of the pilots stabbed the other and apparently attempted to deliberately crash the Tel Aviv-bound jet with everyone aboard before passengers and other crew members intervened.

“During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board,” Netanyahu said in a video statement Wednesday afternoon. He called the passengers who intervened “heroes” who “prevented a major disaster.”

The prime minister’s account marked a significant development in Israel’s description of an incident that began Wednesday morning with reports of an unexplained emergency aboard the Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport.

Flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 passengers, according to Israeli reports, including 27 children. More than 100 of those aboard were Israeli nationals.

According to Netanyahu, the violent confrontation began as the aircraft was approaching Israel. One pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed the other, after which the aircraft began a frightening and extremely rapid descent.

Flight-tracking data shows just how dramatic that descent was. The jet dropped from approximately 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet in a matter of minutes, with some tracking data recording an extraordinary instantaneous descent rate during the crisis.

Passengers described the aircraft as being effectively out of control during those moments.

Miryam Shira Ohayon, who was aboard the flight, said, “The plane was pretty much out of control.”

“So the co-pilot tried to murder the pilot and basically carry out a suicide attack on the plane,” she said.

Her mother, Yasmin Abukasis, who was waiting for her daughter at Ben Gurion Airport, said passengers heard shouting before discovering the bloody scene near the cockpit.

“She said one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife. They heard shouting,” Abukasis said.

Another passenger went toward the cockpit “and saw a lot of blood,” she said.

“She started screaming ‘come help’ and some people went in and caught the guy,” Abukasis said.

“All the while, the plane started going down very fast. People thought they were going to die,” she added.

Tzvika Manes, CEO of Barak Capital Underwriting, Bank Leumi’s underwriting arm, said he was one of the passengers who rushed into the cockpit and physically subdued the alleged attacker.

“My wife was standing near the cockpit because our daughter was in the restroom. Suddenly, she heard shouting coming from the cockpit. She yelled to a relief pilot from who was sitting nearby: ‘Go in quickly, see what’s happening.’”

“He called for help, and two other men and I entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker. I’m covered in blood. It was insane,” Manes said.

A doctor aboard the aircraft then began treating the injured pilot.

“A doctor who was on board bandaged the pilot, treated him, and allowed the flight to continue,” Manes said.

Other qualified pilots were reportedly aboard the aircraft as passengers or positioning crew members and were able to take control after the suspect was subdued. Israeli media reported that they helped stabilize the aircraft and carry out the emergency diversion to Saudi Arabia.

Video recorded during the ordeal showed just how uncertain passengers remained about whether they would survive.

“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists, we’re approaching landing. Whoever is hearing me, we need help,” a bloodied passenger said.

“We’re landing in Tabuk, apparently in Saudi Arabia. An unknown, unfamiliar area. On the plane, everybody is safe and sound, other than the pilot. We need help.”

Another passenger described the terror inside the cabin as the plane rapidly lost altitude.

“For several minutes we were certain we will be murdered or crash … Screams were heard coming from the cockpit,” the passenger said.

“The Israeli passengers grabbed the attacker and pinned him to the floor … There were moments when we thought we wouldn’t make it out alive.”

The aircraft’s transponder signals added to fears that a hijacking was underway. About 90 minutes after departing Dubai, the plane transmitted code 7700, the international signal for a general emergency. It subsequently transmitted 7500, the code used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking.

The signals set off alarms throughout Israel’s security establishment. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled, while Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz convened an urgent security consultation. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir simultaneously held an assessment with the commander of the Israeli Air Force and the heads of the IDF’s Operations and Military Intelligence directorates.

The aircraft ultimately landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi airport authorities confirmed that both the captain and copilot were injured and transported to a hospital, but their initial statement did not explain the cause of the injuries or characterize what happened as terrorism.

Netanyahu said Saudi authorities had arrested the suspected attacker and were questioning him.

Israeli reports have described the suspect as an Omani copilot, although neither Flydubai nor Saudi authorities had publicly confirmed his identity or nationality as of Wednesday afternoon. Authorities are investigating his background, motive and whether anyone else was involved.

Defense Minister Katz went further than Netanyahu in describing the episode, publicly declaring it an attempted “jihadist terrorist attack.” Katz said Israel’s preliminary information indicated that the attacker had one objective: bringing down the aircraft with everyone aboard.

Flydubai, by contrast, has remained cautious, saying only that FZ1073 “experienced an incident while en route” and confirming that everyone aboard was safe. The airline said it was cooperating with the authorities and would provide additional information as verified details became available.

There has also been no publicly disclosed evidence thus far establishing that the alleged attacker was acting under orders from a terrorist organization or foreign government.

The incident has triggered a separate investigation into how the suspected copilot was approved to operate an Israel-bound flight. Transportation Minister Miri Regev has demanded an examination of the crew-vetting process amid reports that the suspect was an Omani national.

For Netanyahu, however, the most immediate conclusion from the extraordinary episode was that the outcome could have been dramatically different had passengers and other crew members not acted when they did.

The prime minister said the passengers who confronted the alleged attacker “prevented a major disaster,” crediting their intervention with saving the lives of those aboard the aircraft.

Israeli security and aviation authorities launched an urgent investigation Wednesday into how a Flydubai copilot reportedly from Oman — a country that does not have diplomatic relations with Israel — was cleared to operate a flight to Tel Aviv before allegedly stabbing the captain and attempting to crash the aircraft with 174 passengers aboard.

The Mossad, Shin Bet, IDF, Transportation Ministry and Israel Airports Authority are now examining the security procedures that preceded Flydubai Flight FZ1073, including precisely what screening was conducted on the suspected attacker and whether his assignment to the Israel route complied with the aviation arrangements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

At the center of the investigation is a basic question: How was a pilot identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national authorized to fly an aircraft scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport?

Under Israeli-Emirati aviation arrangements cited by Israeli officials and media, pilots operating flights into Israel are required to hold passports from countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. Oman has never joined the Abraham Accords and does not have formal diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev has demanded an examination of whether Flydubai and the UAE violated those requirements and called for the airline’s flights to Israel to be suspended while the matter is investigated.

One possibility under examination is that the suspected copilot held dual citizenship and entered Israel under a second passport from a country that does maintain relations with Israel. Israeli reports said Regev raised the dual-citizenship issue in discussions with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.

Security officials are also investigating whether the standard vetting process was properly conducted before the copilot was approved for the Tel Aviv route. Because of the particular sensitivities surrounding flights arriving from Gulf and other Middle Eastern countries, foreign crew members are subject to individualized screening before being cleared for flights into Israeli airspace.

Investigators are seeking to determine whether that screening occurred in this case, what information was available about the copilot beforehand and whether any warning signs were missed.

The investigation comes after Netanyahu publicly described what happened aboard FZ1073 as a “highly severe security incident.” According to Netanyahu, the copilot attacked the captain while the aircraft was approaching Israel and then attempted to bring down the Boeing 737 MAX.

The suspected attacker was identified by an Israeli official as an Omani national and was arrested after the plane made its emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities are questioning him.

Netanyahu said passengers and another crew member forced their way into the cockpit after the aircraft “entered a tailspin and began to dive” and found the copilot “trying to sabotage the plane’s systems.”

“They saved many lives. They prevented a heavy disaster,” Netanyahu said.

Defense Minister Israel Katz went further, describing the episode as an attempted jihadist terror attack and saying Israel’s preliminary information indicated that the suspect intended to crash the aircraft with everyone aboard. That remains the Israeli government’s assessment; Saudi authorities and Flydubai have not publicly confirmed a terrorist motive.

Flight data underscores how close the incident came to catastrophe. The aircraft was cruising at roughly 34,000 feet when it suddenly plunged by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before its first emergency transmission, according to Flightradar24 data cited by Reuters.

The plane initially transmitted squawk code 7700, indicating a general emergency, and subsequently switched to 7500, the international signal for unlawful interference with an aircraft. The second signal immediately raised fears in Israel that a passenger jet carrying scores of Israelis had been hijacked.

Israeli fighter jets were scrambled while Netanyahu and senior defense officials held emergency consultations. The plane ultimately stabilized and landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk.

Passengers have described a bloody struggle inside the cockpit in which Israelis and other crew members rushed forward after hearing screams. Israeli reports say the captain was repeatedly stabbed before passengers managed to overpower the alleged attacker and remove him from the cockpit.

A particularly fortunate circumstance may have prevented the incident from becoming an aviation catastrophe: additional qualified pilots were traveling aboard FZ1073 as part of a crew arrangement. After the alleged attacker was subdued, another pilot was able to take control of the aircraft and help bring it safely to Saudi Arabia.

“The great stroke of luck on this flight was the pilots,” a senior Israeli official told Channel 12. “Otherwise, we would have been facing an incident straight out of September 2001 or July 1976.”

The official was referring to the September 11 terror attacks in the United States and the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight to Entebbe.

Israel’s investigation is now extending beyond the alleged attacker himself. Authorities want to reconstruct the entire chain through which he was hired, screened, assigned to FZ1073 and ultimately permitted to serve aboard an aircraft whose scheduled destination was Israel.

Flydubai has not confirmed the copilot’s nationality or publicly explained how its crew members are vetted for Israel-bound flights. The airline has described Wednesday’s events only as an onboard “incident” and said it is cooperating with the relevant authorities.

There is also no publicly disclosed evidence at this stage that the suspected attacker was directed by a terrorist organization, foreign government or other outside entity. Israeli authorities are investigating whether he acted alone and what motivated his alleged actions.

The Shin Bet is expected to question the Israeli passengers and crew members after their return from Saudi Arabia as investigators piece together the events inside the cockpit and seek to determine whether anything before takeoff should have raised suspicion.

Meanwhile, the Mossad was involved in security arrangements for the replacement Flydubai aircraft dispatched to Tabuk to retrieve the stranded passengers, as Israeli authorities sought assurances regarding the crew assigned to bring them home.

The scrutiny is particularly significant because Flydubai’s Dubai-Tel Aviv service is part of one of the busiest aviation links created by the Abraham Accords. More than two dozen flights normally operate each day between Israel and the UAE, and the route has continued operating despite years of regional conflict.

A second Flydubai flight, FZ1081, initially appeared to turn back toward Dubai later Wednesday while over Saudi Arabia, although subsequent flight data indicated it continued along its scheduled route.

For Israeli investigators, however, the central question remains the one raised almost immediately after FZ1073 landed: if the man in the cockpit was indeed an Omani national who intended to destroy an Israel-bound passenger jet, how did he receive clearance to fly that route in the first place?

The approximately 174 passengers stranded in Saudi Arabia following the suspected terror attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 are preparing to return to Israel after the Mossad approved the replacement Flydubai crew sent to retrieve them, following a high-level security assessment led by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.

The replacement Flydubai aircraft landed Wednesday afternoon in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the passengers have remained since their Tel Aviv-bound flight made an emergency landing following the violent cockpit attack. Passengers began boarding the new aircraft, which was expected to arrive at Ben Gurion Airport at approximately 6 p.m. Israel time. Some passengers, shaken by the ordeal, initially indicated that they did not want to board another Flydubai flight.

The decision to allow the passengers to return aboard another Flydubai aircraft came only after Israeli security officials scrutinized the replacement crew. According to Israeli reports, the Mossad examined and approved the pilots and crew members assigned to the rescue flight before Israeli authorities gave their approval for the passengers to board.

The unusual vetting followed serious questions about how the suspected attacker aboard FZ1073 was cleared to fly an aircraft bound for Israel in the first place. Israeli officials believe the copilot involved in Wednesday morning’s incident is an Omani national, although his identity and nationality have not yet been formally confirmed by Flydubai. Oman does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.

Mossad Director Roman Gofman is personally overseeing Israel’s handling of the case, including contacts with Saudi authorities and the Israeli side of the investigation into the suspected attack. Israeli officials are awaiting information from the Saudi interrogation of the detained copilot as they attempt to determine his motive and whether he acted alone.

One issue being investigated is whether the suspected attacker held dual citizenship that enabled him to satisfy security requirements for Flydubai personnel assigned to Israel-bound flights. Israeli officials reportedly understand that he had worked for the Emirati carrier for less than a year.

The decision to use a Flydubai rescue plane followed several hours of discussions over how to extract the Israeli passengers from Saudi Arabia, which has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel.

Israel initially examined the possibility of sending its own aircraft to Tabuk. Israeli media reported that officials considered both a civilian Israeli plane and an Israeli military aircraft, while El Al offered to conduct a special rescue flight. Saudi authorities, however, did not approve an independent Israeli evacuation operation, leaving the replacement Flydubai aircraft as the route home.

The complicated rescue operation came after Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held a security assessment with senior defense and intelligence officials as the crisis unfolded.

“The situation is under control, and all measures are currently being taken to bring the Israeli passengers back to Israel safely,” Netanyahu’s office said.

The passengers had been stranded in Tabuk since FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, made its emergency landing Wednesday morning after a violent confrontation erupted in the cockpit.

According to Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, one pilot attacked the other and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft. Israeli passengers rushed the cockpit and helped overpower the suspected attacker, while other qualified pilots aboard the plane helped regain control. Katz has characterized the incident as an attempted “jihadist terrorist attack.” Saudi and Flydubai authorities have not publicly adopted that characterization, and the motive remains under investigation.

The aircraft had been cruising at approximately 34,000 feet before suddenly plunging to roughly 17,000 feet. During the emergency it transmitted transponder code 7700, signaling a general emergency, and subsequently 7500, the internationally recognized code for unlawful interference or a possible hijacking.

Israeli fighter jets were scrambled as authorities initially feared that the aircraft had been hijacked. The plane eventually landed safely in Tabuk, where Saudi security forces detained the suspected attacker. Both pilots were taken to a hospital with injuries.

Netanyahu said the attacker was now being questioned by Saudi authorities and praised those aboard the plane whose intervention he said prevented a catastrophe.

The incident has also triggered a major dispute over Flydubai’s continued operations in Israel.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev demanded that Flydubai flights to Israel be suspended pending a full investigation and instructed the Civil Aviation Authority to examine whether the airline violated aviation arrangements requiring pilots flying into Israel to carry passports from countries maintaining diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

Regev’s demand reportedly produced disagreement with Shin Bet Director David Zini over how Israel should respond while the investigation is still underway.

For the passengers themselves, however, the immediate focus shifted Wednesday afternoon from the investigation to finally getting home.

After surviving the terrifying plunge, the cockpit struggle and an emergency landing in a country most of them could not ordinarily enter, the passengers were permitted to board the replacement Flydubai jet only after Israeli intelligence officials were satisfied with the crew assigned to fly them to Ben Gurion Airport.

Israeli security personnel are expected to question passengers after they arrive in Israel as investigators reconstruct exactly what happened aboard FZ1073 and determine whether the attack was planned in advance and whether the Israelis aboard the aircraft were deliberately targeted.

Defense Minister Israel Katz declared Wednesday that the terrifying midair attack aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was an “attempted jihadist terror attack,” saying several Israeli passengers forced their way into the cockpit, physically overpowered the attacker and enabled another flight crew aboard the jet to regain control before the aircraft could be deliberately crashed with 174 passengers aboard.

Katz’s statement represents Israel’s strongest official characterization yet of the extraordinary incident aboard the Boeing 737 MAX 8, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when violence erupted in the cockpit and the aircraft suddenly plunged thousands of feet before diverting to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

“The grave incident on the flydubai plane was a jihadist terrorist attack attempt, which was thwarted only thanks to the bravery of several Israeli passengers who broke into the cockpit, overpowered the terrorist and, with their own hands, restored control of the plane to another flight crew who was present there,” Katz said.

“According to the initial information in our possession, the terrorist had one intention: to crash the plane with all its passengers,” Katz added.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu also said Wednesday afternoon that Israel’s information indicated one pilot attacked the other as the aircraft approached Israel and apparently intended to bring down the plane.

“During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.

Netanyahu hailed the passengers who intervened as “heroes” and said their actions “prevented a major disaster.”

The suspected attacker was arrested after the emergency landing and is being questioned by Saudi authorities, according to Netanyahu. Israeli security officials are working to determine whether he acted alone or had connections to a terrorist organization or another outside entity. Thus far, no evidence of an outside sponsor has been publicly disclosed.

Israeli reports have identified the alleged attacker as an Omani copilot. The captain who was stabbed has meanwhile been identified in Indian reporting as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national who has flown as a Flydubai captain since 2022. Flydubai itself has not publicly confirmed the pilots’ identities or nationalities.

The rapidly emerging passenger accounts paint a remarkable picture of what happened inside the aircraft.

Yitzhak Lieber, one of the Israeli passengers who helped during the emergency, recorded a message from aboard the plane saying that passengers had managed to overpower the knife-wielding attacker.

“We are on the flight from Dubai. We took control here of the attacker with a knife who stabbed one of the pilots. We simply jumped in and a few of us pulled them out of the cockpit. Everything is fine now. We are probably landing in Saudi Arabia. You can see that I am okay.”

“We will see what happens now. In just a few minutes we are landing. The terrorist has been neutralized.”

Lieber said passengers subsequently made certain that the cockpit was secured from the cabin.

“We made sure they closed the door.”

Another of the passengers now identified as having helped subdue the alleged attacker is Tzvika Manes, CEO of Barak Capital Underwriting, Bank Leumi’s underwriting arm.

Manes told Calcalist that his wife was near the cockpit because their daughter was using the restroom when she suddenly heard shouting coming from inside.

“My wife was standing near the cockpit because our daughter was in the restroom. Suddenly, she heard shouting coming from the cockpit. She yelled to a relief pilot from who was sitting nearby: ‘Go in quickly, see what’s happening.’”

“He called for help, and two other men and I entered the cockpit and subdued the attacker. I’m covered in blood. It was insane,” Manes said.

The presence of additional pilots aboard the flight may have proved critical. Israeli accounts indicate that at least two other qualified pilots were traveling as passengers or positioning crew members. Once the alleged attacker had been pulled from the cockpit, those pilots were able to help regain control and ultimately bring FZ1073 safely into Tabuk.

Manes said a physician aboard the aircraft immediately began treating the wounded captain.

“A doctor who was on board bandaged the pilot, treated him, and allowed the flight to continue,” he said.

Other passengers described the moments before the intervention as sheer terror.

Miriam, an Israeli passenger aboard the flight, said screams suddenly erupted near the cockpit approximately an hour or two before the scheduled arrival in Israel.

“About an hour or two before landing, we just started to hear screams from the plane. Someone started screaming… We just heard screams, and they opened the cockpit and saw large amounts of blood, from someone who had simply tried to murder the pilot and stabbed him with a pocketknife. Then the plane lost control.”

She said the aircraft’s movements left passengers believing they were about to die.

“We felt that this was it; we were about to crash. I was already screaming ‘Shema Yisrael’ and saying, ‘I can’t die, I’m my mother’s only daughter, I can’t do this to my mom.’”

Miriam credited Israelis aboard the aircraft with intervening and said medical professionals among the passengers rushed to help the injured pilot.

“Those who ultimately took control of the incident here were Israelis from the plane, who simply neutralized the terrorist. There was also a nurse here, and a doctor who provided first aid to the pilot. And thank God, there were several pilots on the plane, and they sort of took control of the plane, and in the end we made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.”

Importantly, Miriam herself cautioned immediately after the landing that passengers did not yet know the attacker’s motive.

“We don’t know yet. There is speculation that it might be someone from the flight crew. We really don’t know. At least, I don’t know.”

Asked how the man was overpowered, she said: “I believe it was with their own hands; I wasn’t in the cockpit.”

Flight data independently confirms that something extraordinary occurred aboard the aircraft. FZ1073 was cruising at nearly 34,000 feet when it suddenly lost an enormous amount of altitude, falling below 17,000 feet during the emergency before changing course toward Saudi Arabia.

The aircraft first transmitted transponder code 7700, signaling a general emergency. It then switched to 7500 — the internationally recognized code indicating unlawful interference, including a potential hijacking — before eventually returning to 7700.

Those signals triggered immediate alarm in Israel. Israeli fighter jets were scrambled as defense officials initially feared that an airliner carrying a large number of Israelis could have been hijacked and might be approaching Israeli airspace. Netanyahu and Katz convened security consultations while senior IDF officials conducted their own assessment.

The aircraft ultimately landed at Tabuk at approximately 9:45 a.m. local time. Saudi authorities confirmed that the captain and copilot were injured and taken to a hospital, while the passengers were brought into the terminal.

Flydubai has so far avoided endorsing Israel’s description of the episode as terrorism. The airline has publicly described it only as an unspecified onboard “incident.”

“Flydubai can confirm that flight FZ 1073 operating from Dubai International (DXB) to Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV) on 30 September experienced an incident while en route,” the airline said.

“The aircraft has landed safely in Tabuk Airport (TUU) and all passengers are safe and accounted for. The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”

Saudi authorities likewise have not publicly characterized the episode as a jihadist attack. Their statements have confirmed the emergency landing and injuries to the two pilots while leaving the cause to investigators.

That makes Katz’s declaration significant: Israel’s defense minister is no longer describing the terrorist explanation merely as one possibility under investigation. He is publicly asserting, based on what he called Israel’s “initial information,” that the attacker intended to deliberately destroy the aircraft and kill everyone aboard.

Netanyahu similarly said Saudi Arabia has the suspect in custody and is questioning him. Israeli authorities are examining whether he acted independently and whether the Israelis aboard the Tel Aviv-bound flight were specifically targeted.

The drama also produced an extraordinary logistical problem after the survivors suddenly found themselves stranded in Saudi Arabia, a country with which Israel has no formal diplomatic relations. Flydubai dispatched another aircraft to Tabuk to bring them the rest of the way to Tel Aviv.

But the defining account to emerge from the incident is now the extraordinary intervention inside the cockpit: according to Katz, Israeli passengers realized that the aircraft itself was in mortal danger, broke into the cockpit while the jet was plunging, wrestled the alleged attacker into submission and handed control to other pilots aboard.

Had they failed, Katz said, Israel’s preliminary assessment is that the attacker intended to crash FZ1073 with everyone aboard.