“You Are a True Hero”: PM Netanyahu’s Phone Call to Indian Pilot Captain Smit Machchhar
By The Nation Wave Desk
The world has been in awe of the immense bravery displayed by Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who miraculously saved 174 lives on a hijacked Flydubai flight. Now, the exact details of his harrowing struggle have been revealed in a deeply emotional video call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During the call, PM Netanyahu hailed Captain Machchhar as a “hero of the entire world” and extended a rare, prestigious invitation for him to light a celebratory flame alongside Indian PM Narendra Modi on Israel’s next Independence Day.
Here is the thrilling inside story of the attack, straight from the Captain’s own words during his historic conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLPZ1NJav4o&t=194s The Attack: “A Big Blow to the Back of My Head”
When PM Netanyahu asked how the terrifying ordeal began, Captain Machchhar calmly recounted the nightmare that unfolded at 30,000 feet.
The flight was proceeding normally when the Omani co-pilot requested to pray—a routine practice. “Out of respect, I was just looking at the front and not at the back,” Captain Machchhar explained.
“Suddenly, after about 4-5 minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head. My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft. But then the blows kept coming, one after the other, and that’s when I realized it’s not the aircraft—it’s the other guy in the cockpit with me.”
Due to the initial strikes, the Captain’s vision became completely blurred. The aircraft then went into a sharp, terrifying dive.
The Final Push: “If I Don’t Do It, I’m Going to Die”
Lying on the cockpit floor, barely conscious, Captain Machchhar could feel the aircraft plunging. “I felt the aircraft and the whooshing sound and people screaming,” he told PM Netanyahu.
Outside the cockpit, passengers and crew were desperately trying to punch in the access code, but the attacker was actively blocking the door. Realizing that everyone on board was moments away from death, the Captain found a final reserve of strength.
“I had that one last fight left in me… if I don’t do it, I’m going to die. I pushed against everything I had and just went for the door and opened it, and thankfully people were waiting to pounce back and took over the control.”
PM Netanyahu: “You Saved the Spirit of the World”
Visibly moved by the Captain’s sheer willpower and coolness under impossible conditions, PM Netanyahu praised his life-saving actions.
“It’s a twist of fate and it’s a twist of faith, and what you did is remarkable,” Netanyahu said. “You saved so many souls. I think you saved something bigger. You saved the spirit of the world—to realize that a brave pilot and brave passengers can overcome this evil, however threatening, however violent.”
During the heartwarming exchange, the Prime Minister also mentioned the dentist who treated Captain Machchhar after the emergency landing, noting that even the medical staff were astounded by his bravery. The Captain humbly responded, “I would love to meet him as well. He saved my life, to be honest .”
An Unprecedented Honor Awaits in Israel
Before signing off and wishing the Captain and his family a speedy recovery, PM Netanyahu extended a historic invitation. He requested that Captain Machchhar, alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, bear a celebratory flame on Israel’s Independence Day—an honor usually reserved strictly for Israeli citizens.
“All the citizens of Israel will embrace you,” Netanyahu assured him. “They do now, and they will then, too.”
Through his unimaginable grit, Captain Smit Machchhar has indeed proven himself to be exactly what the Prime Minister called him: a hero of India, a hero of Israel, and a hero of the entire world.
