October 2, 2026
As the news unfolded on Wednesday about the attempted hijacking of the FlyDubai airliner headed to Israel, I immediately thought back to the countless stories I have heard and read about from the late 1960s through the 1970s when Palestinian terrorists attempted to hijack several airliners heading to or from Israel. Operation Entebbe and the rescue of passengers aboard Air France Flight 139 were a remarkable moment in Israeli history when Israeli forces rescued the hostages after a week of being held in Uganda. The heroics on the FlyDubai flight also reminded me of the heroics on Flight 93 from 9/11; thankfully, the outcome on Wednesday was different. As of this writing, the motive of the co-pilot who stabbed Capt. Smit Machchhar is still unclear, and by the time this is published, more details will be learned. Watching the news of what took place on Wednesday and seeing video footage on social media reinforced my belief in miracles.
When the Captain was stabbed, the plane dove more than 17,000 feet in under a minute. The experience on board was terrifying. Yet as the plane dove, Yaniv Hayoun looked at his family and said, “I have to do something.” The captain, while critically wounded, had managed to unlock the cockpit door, and with the help of another crew member, Hayoun put the co-pilot into a chokehold, dragged him out of the cockpit, and called for other Israelis to help restrain him. He then returned to the cockpit and pulled back on the yoke. He knew what to do because he watched Air Crash Investigation on TV. There happened to be two other FlyDubai pilots on board the plane because the airline was anticipating a possible crew timeout, and they wanted to be sure the pilots would be there to make the next leg of the trip. While all this was happening, a dentist and other passengers provided aid to the captain, saving his life. If you were ever a skeptic of miracles, maybe after this story, we should all start believing. As the plane landed in Saudi Arabia, Israelis could be heard singing Baruch Chait’s Gesher Tzar M’od, a musical rendition of Reb Nachman of Breslov’s wisdom, which reminds us, “The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the essential thing is to not be afraid.” Upon landing in Israel hours later, they sang Am Yisrael Chai.
The incident is an incredible reminder of the resilience, fortitude, and inner strength Israelis hold in their hearts. Sukkot is a time of vacationing for Israelis, and Dubai has become a popular destination with many flights a day between the UAE and Israel. With many Israelis on this plane, most of whom have military experience, they seemingly knew what to do, and they were ready to jump in when needed. Israelis view one another as part of a large family. They feel each other’s pain and rejoice in their successes. There is a real sense of communal responsibility and a recognition that Israelis care for each other.
What is remarkable to me is also that Israeli passengers who were wounded were given medical attention by the Saudis, who were ultimately supportive in ensuring that every passenger was safe. Could we have imagined that happening years ago?
While we celebrate the miracle, many Jews around the world will offer the Gomeil prayer in gratitude for the safe arrival. One cannot help but be frustrated by the media coverage of this harrowing incident. The NY Times online update said, “FlyDubai Flight to Israel Is Diverted After Clash Between Pilots.” NBC4’s headline read “Fighting pilots force Israel flight to make emergency landing, officials say.” CNN reported, “A violent altercation between two pilots caused a FlyDubai aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv to divert to Saudi Arabia.” Compare that to Times of Israel, “Copilot subdued after stabbing pilot in alleged attempt to crash plane full of Israelis,” and what we see is further evidence of coverage that minimizes Jewish suffering and pain. There was no clash; there was no altercation. There was an attempted hijacking and takedown of a plane with Israeli citizens on board. I cannot help but wonder what the media coverage would have looked like if the people on the flight were citizens of another Western nation.
Additionally, what has transpired on the internet, social media, and even in more traditional media spaces is the spread of conspiracy theories that Israel was behind this attempted hijacking. The Times of Israel reported that the Combat Antisemitism Movement’s Antisemitism Research Center identified nearly 3,000 posts on X attributing the incident to Israel, Mossad, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Zionists, or Jews during 12 hours. The first one occurred just 67 minutes after the aircraft made its first distress signal. Oliver Marks, a research associate with the Antisemitism Research Center, said that it’s not just the volume, but the speed with which these false conspiracy theories spread. Marks added, “This isn’t a narrative that forms in response to an incident, but rather it is part of a script that already exists and is ready for use when the opportunity arises.”
While we cannot solve these false flag and conspiracy theories today, and we cannot change the way media covers Israel and Jews around the world, we can continue to demand better. For today, during this season of rejoicing, we can be grateful that 174 people are alive today because of the heroism of the Israelis on board the FlyDubai plane, the pilots who landed the plane safely, the dentist who saved the captain, and all those who are working to learn more about the motive and who will implement further safety measures to ensure something like this never happens again.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Rick Kellner