The Flydubai event has shown that Israel, despite the worldwide attempts to isolate the Jewish state, still has its friends, beginning with the U.A.E. More on this story, by former Hudson Institute Fellow Mike Watson, can be found here: “Israel’s Growing Allies on the Ground—and in the Sky,” by Mike Watson, Washington Free Beacon, October 3, 2026:
…A different set of images portrayed a more important reality this week. When an Omani terrorist attempted to hijack an airplane bound for Israel from Dubai, an improvised multinational coalition sprang into action. This was largely the work of brave individuals, but it illustrates the larger forces affecting Israel’s foreign policy. The Jewish state faces many enemies, but a growing number of countries are attracted to it because of Israel’s battlefield prowess, technological skill, and shared values.
The terrorist aimed to kill Jews, but his first target was an Indian. The pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, fought off his treacherous copilot long enough to open the cockpit door. Israeli passengers then rushed their would-be murderer, subdued him, pulled the Boeing 737 out of its fatal dive, and stabilized the stricken aviator. The plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia, where medics tended to the injured civilians until another plane brought them to Tel Aviv.
Much like Captain Machchhar and his passengers, Israel and India are becoming a dynamic duo. Although India still expresses plenty of sympathy for the residents of the West Bank and Gaza, the Jewish state’s value is too obvious to miss for a country with hostile neighbors and severe terrorist threats. India is Israel’s top destination for defense exports, and it has reciprocated with nearly 3,000 shipments of defense equipment and components since October 7. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in February, he and Netanyahu announced a bevy of agreements on technological cooperation and that a free trade agreement is in the works. Together, they form one half of the I2U2, a quadrilateral that includes the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
Of course, the flight only occurred because of Israel’s relationship with the UAE, which has deepened because of the immense damage Iran is inflicting across the Middle East. In fact, as the pinstriped diplomats stormed down the aisle at the U.N., the Emirati delegation remained….
There are two more powerful forces revealed in the airplane story. Former Top Gun pilot Matthew Buckley told Fox News that the dive “exceeded the max operating speed of this aircraft by at least 100 knots,” which “ripped the rudder off this tail.” In addition to heroes onboard, the passengers owe their lives to the anonymous workers in Renton, Washington, who made one heck of a plane.
In fact, the story of the co-pilot, identified as an Omani citizen who had studied aviation management in the UK and had earlier announced his intention to “kill Jews” was so appalling, and the details of the rescue so riveting, including the four Israelis who stormed the cockpit, and one of whom — a plumber whose only knowledge about planes came from cockpits he had seen on television movies — managed to right the plane as it dove toward the ground, that the coverage of Israel in the media has been noticeably more sympathetic. Might it be that such a change in the media’s treatment of the Jewish state will hold?
Cynthia says
Affinity for Israel will not hold. There are too many forces in place to make a difference. The Gulf money and Iranian proxies are everywhere. Then there is China and Russia who join in the anti western propaganda.
The red/green mobs plan on protesting worldwide against Israel as the anniversary of the October 7 approaches.
Taffy says
The sales of “Muhammad is My Copilot” bumper stickers took a dramatic unexplained nosedive after the Flydubai suicide/terror jihad.
Since the hijacking and suicide jihad was thwarted, and the pilot will make a full recovery with some scarring, we can joke about it. But, I have a feeling that IRGC intelligence (IRGC Unit 840), in cooperation with MOI/MOIA (the equivalent of Iran’s CIA) got to the jihadist’s imam and to him. Unit 840, in the past, was able to solicit and convince Israeli teenagers to photograph military bases and damage from Iranian missiles and send the pics back to them in exchange for a few hundred dollars. And they have been able to solicit Israeli Arabs to spy for them.
It’s good that Saudi Arabia took charge of the initial interrogation. The copilot admitted that the plan was to commandeer the plane over Jordan and to crash it into Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Israel averted a 9/11 scenario. I have. A feeling that the Saudis obtained other information as to who put him up to it, but that has not been released. The problem is that there may be many more of these pilot jihadis out there, unbeknownst to anyone.
gravenimage says
“Muhammad is My Copilot” is hilarious, Taffy!
gravenimage says
Israel and the Flydubai Event
…………………………………….
Kudos to Israel and India!
ploome says
Is it coincidence that the Indian pilot was probably NOT muslim?
So the co-pilot could kill a Hindu also?
A muslim pilot could have talked the co-pilot out of the crash?
carpediadem says
Good point re Hindu.
A Muslim might have joined the copilot’s jihad.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
India’s expression of sympathy w/ the “residents of West Bank and Gaza” has been limited to their diplomatic core, particularly in NYC, who routinely vote against Israel in the UN, no matter how vile the resolution in question. Modi’s foreign policy is a disgrace – playing footsie w/ Bangladesh, whose genocide of Hinddus continues
The bulk of Indian Hindus are pro-Israel and loathe all of Modi’s pals – Qatar, Balestine. The Indian government, in contrast, refuses to name even Hamas as a terrorist organization (let alone Fatah or Hizbullah), and during the Gaza war, kept sending food supplies to Hamas. There was one case I remember where in an Indian rice sack, a whole ton of bullets were discovered, instead of rice
So Hindus mostly are pro-Israel – except Leftists and people working in Bollywood, which is captive by the dawagandists. That is not true of Jaishankar, the foreign minister, who’s a freaking disgrace
Taffy says
Send Hamas lots of ammo with one in 50 loaded to 100K psi SAAMI, instead of the specified 45K psi. And make it so they cannot distinguish the supercharged ones from the real ones.
There is historic basis for this. In WWII, the Brit’s gave the French resistance fighters explosives disguised as lumps of coal to sabotage the boilers of german trains. And in Vietnam, the U.S. let the Viet Kong capture ammunition supplies with extra-high pressure rounds sprinkled within them. German trains were delayed as the crew inspected each lump of coal. In Vietnam, the enemy’s rifles blew up causing facial injuries and blown off fingers. Such a strategy works!
MJ Raichyk, PhD says
Well that IRGC general said they may be ‘limited’ on planes and ships but they were ready to launch their ”ASYMMETRIC” resources on the Satan duo… possibly this 9-11 copycat mission for little Satan… and that south Georgia high school homecoming weekend blockparty mass shooting yesterday to copycat Oct7 chaos for great Satan? I doubt an Allah Akbar would’ve been noticed with all the existing decibels so no person-of-interest or motive yet..
Are those asymmetric enough? ttyl
tgusa says
Israel despite the worldwide attempts to isolate the Jewish state, still has its friends. Well that is fine but I’m still never booking a flight on Jihadi Air. Here and there I might play a little Poker or Blackjack but I’m not doing that.
tgusa says
And even though it may look challenging I won’t play Russian Roulette either.
AlexMahone says
The Indian government is pro Israel so are majority of Hindu population of India. Only leftist hindus and islamists shout Gaza. Indian government is secretly well wisher of Israel but it has to do such pro Palestine stunts to keep its inherent muslim population happy and some muslim countries too.
somehistory says
“‘UNRWA is Hamas,’ Israeli attorney warns as explosive Oct 7 lawsuit rocks UN agency
Lawyer says Yonatan Samerano was murdered after fleeing the Nova music festival. His body was allegedly dragged into Gaza by UNRWA employees”
https://www.foxnews.com/world/unrwa-hamas-israeli-attorney-warns-explosive-oct-7-lawsuit-rocks-un-agency