Crew of hijacked flydubai plane clashed with heroic Israeli passengers, demanded tied-up terror pilot be freed

 

Manes said he is a regular guy who just wanted to save his family.

Daniel Schlichter said that he was fully prepared to die.

The crew of the hijacked flydubai plane shockingly clashed with heroic Israeli passengers who subdued the ax-wielding co-pilot after he attacked the pilot — demanding he be freed, two men who helped secure the terror suspect told The Post in exclusive interviews.

“They were asking us to untie the terrorist — we had no idea why,” said banking executive Tzvika Manes, one of the three civilians who took down the would-be hijacker.

“They were saying to free the terrorist — we got instantly suspicious of them,” said real estate professional Daniel Schlichter, who was sitting in the second row, close to the cockpit .
Manes, 40, was traveling with his wife and three daughters aged 11, 7, and 6, after a family vacation in Japan, when the co-pilot, identified by The Wall Street Journal as an Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, began hacking at the Indian pilot, Capt. Smit Machchhar, with a crash ax.

The seriously injured Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. Manes, along with plumber Yaniv Hayoun and Asaf Rajuan, rushed to confront the attacker and overpowered him.

Hayoun, a plumber, then managed to stabilize the nosediving plane using techniques he learned from the TV show “Air Disasters.”

But after the three Israelis subdued the pilot and restrained him face-down with his hands tied behind his back — first with zip ties, then using headphone wires that Schlicter gathered from passengers.

As he was subdued, Hayoun heard the terrorist cry, “Kill me, kill me” — apparently because he failed in his Jihadist mission, Manes said.

Yet some crew members began demanding that he be freed.

An argument ensued and the Israeli trio shot back that under no circumstances would the suspected terrorist be released.

“They said, ‘You are not God, you are not going to kill him,'” Manes recalled. “We didn’t want to kill him, we just wanted him not to kill us.”

Schlichter, 59, who was also returning from a vacation in Japan with his wife, and Manes both said that the Israelis even gave the wounded terrorist an oxygen mask.

“We wanted him to live so he could be investigated,” Schlichter said.

A power play ensued with the crewmembers insisting that they were in charge of the plane and needed to remain alone in the area directly in front of the cockpit.

The Israelis, fearing the crew could be involved in the pilot’s plot, ordered the stewards to leave the cockpit area and to take seats in the middle of the plane.

“We told them, “Now the policy is we’re in charge and you do what we say,’ ” Manes said.

“We didn’t know what to think, we were in a suspicious mode for every steward.”

A group of passengers, Schlichter among them, escorted the crew members to seats in the fifth or sixth row, away from the cockpit.

“We shouted at them and told them to sit down,” said Schlichter, who has two children and two granddaughters.

The trio then enlisted a “big guy” to guard the cockpit and prevent anyone from entering, Manes said.

Reserve pilots seated on the back of the plane had at that point already entered the cockpit and taken over the control of the aircraft.

After the crew was seated, they began to “understand that this was a special case,” Schlichter said, and they started tending to the traumatized passengers, providing them with blankets and water.

The crew has not been accused of conspiring with the bloodthirsty co-pilot.

When asked by The Post about the crew’s behavior, flydubai said it could not comment on a matter under investigation. “We remain fully committed to supporting the ongoing investigation and are in close coordination with the relevant government authorities and regulators,” it said in a statement.

“I stayed with the terrorist until we landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. After that I hugged my daughters and told them they were going to be OK, and that they are heroes,” Manes said.

Once the plane landed, the adrenaline began to wear off and passengers started processing what they had just survived.

Some had panic attacks while others broke down crying, Manes said.

“They didn’t want to fly back to Israel on another flydubai flight. Many wouldn’t step foot on the plane until they were personally told by the Mossad that the pilots had been cleared,” he said.

The self-described “regular finance guy” never dreamed he would one day be the center of a movie-like life-or-death midair battle.

His only thought was saving his family.

“When I heard my daughters crying ‘Father I don’t want to die’ — that was the trigger for me to run and fight, I wasn’t thinking of anything, it was just fight or flight,” Manes said.

The pilot fought the three men viciously.

“Punches were flying, we were kicking him, we didn’t know if he still had his knife, we couldn’t see it,” Manes said. “None of us were fighters or heroes, we were just normal guys who wanted to save our families.”

“It was sounds you only hear in a movie,” Schlichter said.

Manes, the CEO of Barak Capital Underwriting, Israel’s largest investment bank, said he has bruises all over his body.

“The G-Force was like something I never felt like in my life, it felt like everything was soaking, it was a crazy feeling,” he said.

Schlichter said that he was fully prepared to die as the plane nosedived 17,000 feet in moments.

“It was the longest minute I’ll ever have in my life, I remember everything, I remember clearly thinking about 9/11, then I thought about my children, my family, how awful it would be for them to hear what happened,” he said.

Both men said they were overwhelmed by the number of things that had to go right for everyone aboard to survive.

“Statistically this kind of miracle can not be happening, the chance that each one of us, especially would be on the same second where they had to be, I can’t even fathom how unlikely it is,” Schlichter said.

“I believe that definitely we had divine protection,” Manes said. “Someone up there is watching over us.”

Thousands say Hallel at Nova

 

Thousands arrived at the site of the Nova Music Festival massacre in Re'im on Friday morning to recite the Hallel and pray for memories of those who were murdered and for the people of Israel.

Among the thousands who participated were bereaved families, wounded soldiers, and survivors of the massacre. The Hallel prayer was led by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu and his son, Minister Amichay Eliyahu.

Also in attendance was Rami Davidian, who worked to rescue young revelers during the massacre, and Rabbi Eitan Shnerb, the father of terror victim Rena Shnerb.

They were joined by Eliyahu Libman, the father of massacre victim Elyakim Libman, and Elkana Federman, who served as the security officer at the Nova Festival.

Among those in attendance was also Avishai David, the father of captivity survivor Evyatar David.

The ultimate validation of Zionism

 

Douglas Altabef is the Chairman of the Board of Im Tirtzu and a Director of the Israel Independence Fund

We are all still in awe of the bravery and heroics of our fellow Israelis, “regular" people who demonstrated incredible awareness and courage in assessing and addressing what could easily have been a horrific terror attack,

Many have attributed the events to a series of miracles: the willingness and ability of the captain to open the cockpit despite having been stabbed; the fortuitous seating of Israelis at the front of the plane who heard noises of distress and acted and summoned others to act.

Far be it from me to look a gift miracle in the mouth. As Ben Gurion pointed out, to live in Israel one has to believe in miracles. So, for sure, Hashem was helping us and orchestrating our salvation.

But as our Sages teach us, Hashem is looking to us for reciprocity. He is looking for us to do our share. We need to follow through on the opportunities He presents to and for us.

The one film clip that was for me the most powerful and eye opening showed the now heralded plumber, Yaniv Hayon, running from the middle of the airplane to the front while the plane was experiencing a dive.

Think about this: Yaniv is not anywhere close to the cockpit. There are reports that he heard screaming come from the front of the plane (the product of yet another miracle - the girl and her mother sitting upfront who heard distress coming from the cockpit).

He also realized that the steep dive was a sign of extreme distress, and his instinctive reaction was to rush to the likely source of the distress.

In other words, he ran towards, not away from danger. He took responsibility, asking himself how he could help to address a dire situation.

There would be those who would say that Yaniv was being reckless, potentially endangering himself and possibly others as well. This is the prevalent Western mindset: don’t get involved, don’t possibly put yourself into harm’s way; this is not your role, and others can address the situation.

The epitome of this orientation was shown a few months ago when a thug entered the Central Synagogue in midtown Manhattan and physically attacked a 63 year old woman before being subdued by on site security personnel.

Fair enough. But the other congregants did not try to confront the attacker; rather, they cowered where they were, or fled from the confrontation,

I don’t mean to condemn the response. It is perhaps all too normative and to be expected. I mention it to highlight the extraordinary difference between what we call the norm, and what I would call the Israeli exception.

What Yaniv and his fellow rescuers demonstrated is an instinct, a behavior that is part and parcel of the Israeli sensibility. This sensibility, demonstrated time and time again by our soldiers and civilians alike during the past three years, show Israelis running towards the scene of the problem, not away from it

Yaniv also ran towards the problem.

This instinctive willingness to engage, to pursue, to take responsibility is one of the pillars of the Zionist imperative: of the need for there to be a sovereign, autonomous Jewish State.

It is part of our core Zionist ethos to take responsibility for ourselves, individually, collectively and as a nation. When leaders from Golda Meir to Benjamin Netanyahu say that Israelis have nowhere else to go, and that we have no choice, they are reflecting this ethos of responsibility and the recognition that only we can ourselves can determine, project and protect our own selves.

The reciprocity that I believe that Hashem is looking for from us in effecting miracles is just this innate and intrinsic sense of responsibility.

We rightly assume that no one else will help us, especially if we don’t rise to help ourselves. We certainly are not waiting for another cavalry to appear on our behalf. Our destiny is in our own hands.

Zionism was predicated on the need and the desire to assume that destiny for ourselves.

How exhilarating, inspiring and instructional is it to see that willingness to assume our destiny played out in a such a dramatic and serious case in point.

Our heroes on the plane did not only save their fellow passengers, the plane’s captain and, inferentially, themselves. They also showed us an amazing example and taught us a breathtaking lesson in the need for and the importance of assuming responsibility.

With all the mundane challenges we face, and the noise we encounter, we can sometimes forget what it is that we cherish about our Land, our People and our State.

Our Flydubai heroes pierced our everyday awareness with a profound existential message: we are the People who won’t run away from trouble and distress. We will confront it head on, and, with Hashem’s help, we will prevail.

Renowned Chazzan R’ Chaim Adler Z”L Niftar at 87

 

Renowned chazzan R’ Chaim Adler z”l, who was niftar on Motzei Simchas Torah at the age of 87 – on his birthday.

R’ Chaim served for many years as chief chazzan of both the Great Synagogue in Yerushalayim and the Great Synagogue in Tel Aviv, and was regarded as one of the leading figures in Ashkenazi chazzanus of his generation.

Just days before his petirah, on the first day of Sukkos, R’ Chaim received an aliyah at the Gerrer Beis Medrash.

Born in Tel Aviv on 23 Tishrei 5701, R’ Chaim was the son of R’ Tzvi Yitzchak Adler z”l, a respected baal tefillah and kashrus figure. As a young man, he learned at Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim in Kfar Saba under HaGaon HaRav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l, and later continued his learning at Yeshivas Chevron in Yerushalayim.

Over the course of his distinguished career, R’ Chaim served as chazzan in major kehillos around the world. He spent approximately 15 years at the Young Israel of Forest Hills in New York, later served in London, and spent approximately a decade at Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, New Jersey. He also held chazzanus positions in Toronto.

After returning to Eretz Yisroel in the early 2000s, he became chief chazzan of the Great Synagogue in Tel Aviv. In 2009, he was appointed chief chazzan of the Great Synagogue in Yerushalayim, a position he held until 2015.

R’ Chaim was also well known for his appearances at major Siyumei HaShas, where his rendition of “Kel Malei Rachamim” was heard by tens of thousands. He performed around the world and recorded albums featuring the niggunim of Radomsk and Modzitz.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Shoshana Adler, as well as children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His son is singer and chazzan R’ Yisrael Adler, and his grandchildren include chazzanim Simcha and Yisrael Rottenberg.

The levayah is scheduled to leave his home at 3 Chanina Schiff Street in Yerushalayim at 10:00 p.m. on Motzei Simchas Torah, proceeding to the Kiryat Shaul cemetery in Tel Aviv, where he will be brought to kevurah.

Yehi zichro baruch.

Yossi Mizrachi on the Miracle Flight

 Please note: This is an impersonation! 

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Chag Samaiach

 

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AI RECREATS THE MIRACLE FLIGHT

 

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Gavin Newsom signs Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha into law as new California state holidays

 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that formally recognizes two Muslim holidays as state holidays on Sunday, making it the second state to formally recognize both holidays statewide.

California Assembly Bill 2017 officially added Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha to the list of state holidays, which would permit public schools and colleges to close and allow state employees to be eligible to observe the holidays. 

However, schools and businesses will not be required to close on these days, and courts will be required to stay open.

This makes California the second state in the country, after Washington state, to pass statewide legislation recognizing the Muslim holidays.

Before signing AB 2017, Newsom had multiple bills on his desk that provided protections and exceptions for other religious observances, including Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. 

For example, AB 395, which reached the governor days before AB 2017, would codify these Jewish holidays, among others, into state law and require state agencies and facilities like schools to “make every reasonable effort” to avoid scheduling significant functions for those days.

Another bill, AB 1763, would also guarantee students in K-12 be allowed excused absences for religious holidays.

Though these bills were introduced and presented to the governor before AB 2017, Newsom did not sign the additional bills into law until Wednesday, prior to the midnight deadline.

Republican opponents criticized Newsom for appearing to prioritize bills recognizing Muslim holidays over bills allowing for equal treatment for Jewish holidays.

“The fact that Newsom chose to sign the Eid law before the law that protected other religious observance speaks volumes about the direction he is moving as he eyes a 2028 run for the presidency,” Elizabeth Barcohana, chair of Jewish engagement for the California Republican Party, told Cleveland Jewish News (JNS) Thursday.

She also warned that these laws would give Muslim holidays additional privileges not afforded to other religions, which could include closing schools.

“People may think this is alarmist, but this is an example of American laws adopting a Sharia law framework,” Barcohana told JNS.

“Special protections no other religious observance receives, the option to shut down public institutions to observe the holiday that, until now, only Christian holidays received and curriculum in public schools that is religious in nature notably about a religion that emphasizes conversion.”

However, David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, supported Newsom’s actions, saying he was not concerned about the order in which the bills were signed because all three became law.

“With more than 1,000 bills in front of him this past month, we aren’t concerned with the sequencing of Assembly Bill 395 and Assembly Bill 1763, as long as they got signed, and they did. We’re thrilled to see these two critical religious freedom protections become law and to recognize three Jewish holidays in California statute for the first time,” Bocarsly told Fox News Digital.

His organization also celebrated Newsom signing into law SB 1387, which recognizes Jewish identity as an ethnicity.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

Saudi Arabia and Jordan denied flydubai flight clearance to land despite a terrifying mayday call

 

Saudi Arabia and Jordan initially rejected landing clearance for the flydubai flight facing a terrorist hijacking attempt despite a terrifying mayday call from the cabin, according to multiple reports.

After the heroic passengers stormed the cockpit to rescue the pilot from his treacherous first officer, a trembling voice was heard asking Saudi Arabia’s air traffic control office for permission to land, one source who heard the call told the Associated Press.

The unidentified person on the plane reported the attempted hijacking via a “Mayday” call, informing authorities that ambulances would be needed on the ground.

Flight Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was seriously wounded in the attack, having been stabbed in the head, arm and torso. His blood littered the floor of the cockpit.

Those inside the air traffic control office could hear passengers screaming in the background as those on the plane rushed to get it back in the proper altitude after it plunged some 18,000 feet.

Despite the plea to land, the off-duty pilots who took control of the plane were instead denied permission and redirected to Jordan airspace, the source said.

The plane was then allegedly told to wait for landing clearance from Jordan’s military before being turned away several minutes later.

The pilots were forced to divert back to Saudi Arabia and asked to land again, with authorities finally giving permission to head toward Tabuk Airport.

The air traffic controllers gave no reason for why the first request was denied, the source added.

Flydubai Flight 1073 was en route to Israel on Wednesday when its co-pilot, who has yet to be publicly named, attacked Machchhar in an attempt to bring down the plane, Israeli officials said.

The plane landed safely in Tabuk, and Machchhar was rushed to the hospital for treatment, with Indian officials confirming that the veteran pilot is in stable condition.

The passengers were provided a rescue flight and landed in Tel Aviv hours after the incident.