Netanyahu invites PM to light torch with Smit Machchhar on Israel Indaependence Day

Netanyahu invites PM Modi to light torch with Indian pilot Smit Machchhar on Israel's Independence DayPM Narendra Modi and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo: Reuters)New Delhi,Oct 22, 2026 19:06 ISTIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a ceremonial torch alongside Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar at Israel's Independence Day celebrations, honouring the captain for his role in preventing a recent crash attempt aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.Machchhar, a Flydubai captain from Gujarat, was seriously injured when his Omani co-pilot attacked him inside the cockpit in late September. Despite his injuries and the aircraft's rapid descent, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing others to intervene and restrain the attacker. The plane subsequently made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.In a post on X on Thursday, Netanyahu said he had spoken to PM Modi and invited him to participate in the torch-lighting ceremony with the Indian pilot."Modi thanked me for the invitation and said that on land and in the air, India and Israel are fighting terrorism together. He also commended the strong and decades-old ties between us," Netanyahu wrote. - Ends