Blood-stained Yaniv Hayun meets Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo Kobi Gideon (GPO)/Prime Minister of Israel's Office/X)[Missing Credit]
Netanyahu asked him to recount what happened.
He told the prime minister his extraordinary story and explained that he knew how to handle a plane’s controls because he watched Canadian air crash documentary series Mayday.
Hayun said: “Someone screamed, and the lights went out. Someone wearing a white shirt stood by the door. Together, we pushed the door,” Israel National News reported.
“The pilot who was stabbed was at the door, but he apparently managed to open it before collapsing. When I went in, I saw the attacker on the devices between the two chairs.”
He went on: “I grabbed the attacker, choked him, and pulled him away from there.
“He tried to ruin the devices to neutralise the plane, which had its nose pointing down.
“I called another two guys who helped me grab him. I began to pull the controls up, and I stopped the plane from diving.”
Flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport, was diverted to Saudi Arabia after the chaos in the cockpit.
The plane eventually landed safely in Tabuk, in north-western Saudi Arabia.
During his meeting with the prime minister, Hayun apologised for his clothes being covered in blood.
Israel National News reported that Netanyahu replied: “It's an honour to meet you this way. How did you do it?”
Hayun answered: "We are a nation of lions.”
Netanyahu hugged him and said: “I see you and I see a lion. You are a great hero.
“What you did is just unbelievable. You saved not only the passengers of the plane, but many others.”
