Netanyahu to Passenger Who Subdued Hijacker on Fly Dubai Flight: 'Lion'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at Ben Gurion Airport with Yaniv, the passenger who subdued the hijacker on the Fly Dubai flight, embraced him while he was still wearing a blood-stained shirt and said to him: 'Lion.'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at Ben Gurion Airport and met with Yaniv, the passenger who subdued the hijacker during the Fly Dubai flight. The two embraced while the hero was still wearing a blood-stained shirt, and Netanyahu said to him: 'Lion.' Prime Minister Netanyahu then met with the passenger's family members.

The rescue plane carrying passengers from the flight landed on Wednesday evening safely at Ben Gurion Airport, and activists waiting at the site waved Israeli flags and sang 'Am Yisrael Chai.' One of the passengers said upon arrival: 'We experienced major trauma,' and a 17-year-old boy who was among those returning said he was 'happy to return home.'

According to the report, during the flight from Dubai to Israel a distress signal was activated and the plane was diverted to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Initially, Israel suspected a hijacking, the air force scrambled fighter jets, and Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz held an urgent consultation at the Ministry of Defense with the top security officials. There were 174 passengers on the plane, most of them Israeli.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said one of the pilots stabbed his colleague and apparently tried to crash the plane, and Defense Minister Israel Katz described the incident as a 'jihadist terrorist attempt.' Israeli passenger Miriam told i24news: 'Someone stabbed the pilot with a blade,' and according to her Israeli passengers helped take control of the suspect together with crew members.