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Israel-Nation-of-Warriors-Flight 2026
BY MOSHE KATZ
CEO
ISRAELI KRAV INTERNATIONAL
September 30, 2026, Israel
At IKI we train in Airplane self-defense. Here are instructors Moshe Katz and Stephan Schutter training in the Netherlands.
Today once again we faced a dramatic airline hostage or crash situation. I can still recall the first major such event back in September 1970. My relatives were on one of those flights. It was also September, fifty-six years ago. The Arab terrorists hijacked four aircraft but failed to hijack the El Al aircraft, as the Israeli passengers fought back and overcame the terrorists. While four aircraft were successfully hijacked on the same day, the hijacking of El Al Flight 219 from Amsterdam was foiled: hijacker Patrick Argüello was shot and killed, and his partner Leila Khaled was subdued and handed over to British authorities in London. She was released shortly afterwards and became an international celebrity, speaking at college campuses across the USA and encourage "Jihad". I wrote about this hijacking in my book, Israel; A Nation of Warriors (see below to order your copy). We have learned through our bitter and hard history that we must fight back, that is the spirit that I call A Nation of Warriors.
Once again today that proved true.
While the details are still not clear and the story is unfolding, this is what we know so far. There was an Arab co-pilot on the Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv. He repeatedly stabbed the captain, an Indian national, who fought back. A passenger indicated that the signs on the pilots' body indicated that he struggled against his attacker evne though he was caught by surprise. The captain was badly hurt but he heroically managed to unlock the door to the cockpit, a move which proved vitally important. His name has been revealed; Captain Smit Machchhar, a Gujarati Indian. It is not clear if the Omani terrorist's intention was a hostage situation or to crash the plane into a major building in Tel Aviv, where the flight was headed towards. I imagine this will come out in future interrogations.
The Flydubai incident on Flight FZ1073 on 30 September 2026 involved a suspected terror attack in which the Omani co‑pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to seize control of the aircraft, forcing an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Flydubai Flight FZ1073, traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with roughly 174–180 passengers, experienced a violent cockpit altercation. The co‑pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a knife or similar sharp object and attempted to crash or hijack the aircraft.
A major "9/11 type" disaster was narrowly avoided with possibly all the passengers being killed and many more on the ground. Most of the passengers onboard were Israelis and the spirit is -Fight Back. This is how we train at IKI, in fact one of our students posted a photo of one of the Israeli warriors who attacked the terrorist and wrote, "A lifetime IKI member!" This is how we train, not to be victims, to be proactive and confront, attack, and subdue the terrorists, and that is precisely what happened today. We are not passive victims. This is and shall remain an integral part of our Krav Maga training.
Let us look at some reports from today, as the news is still unfolding and the passengers are still in Saudi Arabia waiting to be flown home.
An Israeli woman named Tali took her young daughter to the bathroom near the cockpit. She heard a scuffle in the cockpit, a struggle, that was apparently not loud enough for the other passengers to hear. She looked in and saw blood all over the place. Had she not taken immediate action it would have been too late. The plane would have crashed in a few seconds.
She used her voice.
She shouted at the top of her lungs to her husband Tzvika Manes, and the rest is history. He ran forward, as did others, they managed to enter the cockpit, subdue the terrorist, stabilize the plane, prevent a crash, and tend to the injuries of the captain, saving his life.
Some official news below:
"It appears that the copilot repeatedly stabbed the captain."
"Once the incident began, crew members and numerous passengers managed to breach the cockpit door and overpower the terrorist."
"The entire cockpit was covered in blood. The Israeli guys took control of the situation and caught the attacker," the passenger said, adding, "We were either going to crash or be murdered. It was like a terrorist attack in mid-air."
Passengers aboard the flight said that one of the pilots was stabbed with a penknife and that they noticed a large amount of blood. According to them, the pilot lost control of the flight for several minutes, and the Israeli passengers helped regain control of the situation.
According to a passenger, "There were moments when we were sure this was the end. We heard screaming and yelling and then we saw them open the cockpit and that there was blood there."
Another passenger commented: "As soon as the cockpit opened, numerous Israeli passengers rushed forward. We heard shouts of 'Allahu Akbar.'"
Authorities are investigating suspicions that one of the pilots attempted to take his own life and crash the plane, which later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The second pilot, together with Israeli passengers on board, reportedly prevented the suspected attempt. (Israeli National News)
Further updates indicate the following (from the Hebrew press). The cockpit door was not locked. The passengers heard the shouts, the door opens and they see blood, and here the Israeli spirit kicks into action. The courageous Israelis do not stay in their seats. They charge forward, enter the combat zone and help overcome and neutralize the copilot (terrorist), but the miracle does not end there. There were pilots onboard and they landed the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
Interesting point: We are always told that the main job of the flight attendants is not to serve us drinks but to provide for our safety in a case of emergency. In this particular flight, when emergency struck, the entire crew was in shock and unable to do anything. It was the Israeli passengers who provided the rescue, the medical aid and the stabilizing of the flight until a pilot could be found. Perhaps these flight attendants need to upgrade their training. An Israeli passenger reported, "We were nervous that maybe one of the crew is in on this. We were very conscious of this and uncomfortable, so we pretty much took over the cabin, and we assigned passengers to walk with every stewardess whenever they went to get anything. Better safe than sorry." One of the heros later said, "One of the flight attendants, (male) began to go "crazy" and tried to enter the cockpit and reach the pilot, we restrained him." "At a certain point the flight attendants wanted to untie the terrorists' hands saying that he no longer constitutes a threat, we made it absolutely clear to them that under no circumstances are they to get anywhere near the terrorist, at that point the flight attendants, all male, where no longer allowed to roam freely around the plane, they were guarded by the Israeli passengers who now controlled the plane." Another factor that raises suspicions is that as soon as Israelis began filming the incident, the flight crew demanded that no one film anything. Yes, try to stop Israelis from doing what they want to do, especially while terrorists are trying to kill them. They picked the wrong flight for that!
An Israeli physiatrist went around talking to passengers, helping them calm down. Thus, it was the Israeli passengers who took over the entire flight providing protection, medical care, pilots, psychological care, security.
Taking action, taking initiative, being proactive, learning to defend and fight in and around a car, in an aircraft, this is all part of our IKI Krav Maga training.
Do you want to be the kind of person who stays in their seat yelling in horror and panicking? Or the kind of person who gets up, charges the terrorist and overcomes him?
The Nation of Warriors is a concept of teamwork. Warriors spot each other, work together, become a unit, and win.
See below to start your training today.
Note: there were no female flight attendants on this flight, which goes against regulations, this raises many questions.
Update: Now we know that the door was not open but that the brave pilot while being stabbed managed to unlock the door. Israeli passengers near the cockpit heard the noise and shouted. Several Israel passengers including the one in the photo below struggled to open the door, but the pilot himself was lying near the door, so it was difficult to open. They managed to open the door, not only that they fought off and subdued the terrorist, but they also took control of the plane and managed to stabilize it. Asked by the Prime Minister how he knew what to do, he said he knew from watching movies.
The terrorist was tied up with the headphone cords that the airline hands out for the entertainment.
Israeli ingenuity!
Moshe Katz, 8th dan Black Belt, Israeli Krav Maga. Certified by Wingate Institute. Member Black Belt Hall of fame, USA and Europe.
Understand the Israeli Fighting Mentality - Israel a Nation of Warriors by Moshe Katz
What is the cultural background of Krav Maga? What makes it unique? What makes the Israeli military so effective? Why are Israeli security systems used all over the world?
What are the Biblical origins of Krav Maga and who was the first Krav Maga instructor?
What weapons and military strategies did our Biblical ancestors use?
How has Krav Maga developed in Israel and what are its goals?
All that and more in this unique book.
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