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Isaac Herzog has awarded Israel’s highest civilian honour for heroism to six passengers who helped prevent a catastrophe on the Flydubai flight piloted by an alleged attacker accused of trying to hijack and crash the plane.
Tali and Tzvika Manes, Yaniv Hayoun, Dr Shota Musayev, Asaf Rajuan and Or Pardilov received the presidential award for civilian heroism at a ceremony at the president’s residence in Jerusalem on Thursday.
The award recognises people who demonstrate exceptional bravery while putting their own lives at risk to save others. It was established by Israel’s President Herzog following the October 7 terrorist attacks.
The six recipients were among those who intervened after Smit Machchhar the, captain of the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was stabbed by his co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, who then allegedly attempted to bring down the aircraft.
The passengers’ “courage, determination and remarkable presence of mind” prevented “a devastating aviation disaster” and saved the lives of all 174 people on board the September 30 flight, Herzog said,
Captain Machchhar, the Indian pilot injured in the attack who managed to open the cockpit door as he battled for his life, allowing the passengers to enter, overpower the attacker and stabilise the plane, will receive the same honour when he has recovered, the president announced.
“Captain Machchhar’s sheer bravery and sound professionalism helped avert a catastrophe,” Herzog said.
Tali Manes said she had acted with “maternal intuition”, while her husband Tzvika said the screams of his daughters had driven him to act “without thinking”.
Dr Musayev described the passengers as “a chain of people who helped”, saying that if even one link had been missing, “the chain would have broken”.
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