00:01On the third anniversary of the 7th of October terror attacks on Israel, was there an attempt for another terror
00:09strike?
00:10And did Captain Smith Machar, an Indian pilot, play a very critical role in averting it along with brave passengers
00:19from Israel?
00:20With me is Israel's ambassador to India, Ambassador Reuven Azhar.
00:24Ambassador, welcome. Congratulations that a major terror attack was averted, but was this a major terror attack?
00:32What is the information that you have, sir?
00:34Well, so it seems, according to the witnesses, the Israeli witnesses that spoke with the Prime Minister and gave interviews
00:41to the press,
00:42this is a precedent because I don't recall any co-pilot attacking the pilot in a cockpit ever.
00:51So it seems that not only the co-pilot, the attacker, attacked the hero, Captain Smith Machar,
01:00but also after he stabbed him, he tried to malfunction the plane in order to bring it to collapse.
01:07And thanks to the fact that the captain had the resolve and the courage and the bravery to manage to
01:14open the door of the cockpit,
01:16the Israeli passengers managed to enter, to neutralize the attacker, and to begin to pull the plane up until the
01:29crew that was sitting in the passenger cabin
01:31entered and managed to stabilize the situation, and of course a doctor that came and saved the life of the
01:38captain.
01:39So all of that seems pretty clear right now, but of course we don't know yet what exactly happened,
01:45and we're waiting for the results of both the investigation of the attacker, the investigation of the witnesses,
01:52the analysis of the black box of the plane, and then probably we'll be able to learn more.
01:57Now, what is your reading, or Israel's reading, of the timing of this strike that took place, or this attempt
02:04that took place?
02:05Well, I don't know exactly, you know, what brought the attacker to do it now, but no doubt this is
02:11a crucial timing.
02:13Not only because we are commemorating the 7th of October in a few days,
02:18but also because this happened only two days after the visit of Prime Minister Netanyahu to the UAE,
02:23and according to reports, he's meeting with leaders in the region.
02:27This is an attack against the heart of the Abraham Accords that were signed six years ago.
02:32And Fly Dubai was operating 10 flights per day to Israel, and they continued to operate them, you know, throughout
02:40the war.
02:41And they are only one company, also Etihad and Emirates.
02:44So this attempt to kill peace, to disrupt aviation, to destabilize the region,
02:55is something that is very dangerous, and I'm happy that we had this united cooperation against terrorism
03:04from ordinary individuals that raised up to the moment, and without the bravery of each one of them,
03:10180 lives would have been lost.
03:12Now we have to ask ourselves how this could have happened,
03:15and I'm sure that the security agencies and other agencies, the civil aviation authorities and others,
03:21are going to dwell into the issue in order to make sure that the protocols are adapted to such, you
03:30know, scenarios.
03:31That's a very important question.
03:32You raise, Ambassador, on protocols.
03:35Do you see a violation of protocols in this particular incident,
03:39that a co-pilot targets a pilot, you know, the origins of the co-pilot, is that a cause for
03:45concern,
03:46especially at a time when UAE and Israel, as you mentioned, because of Abraham Accord,
03:51they're not only normalized ties, but they're intensifying the engagement,
03:55and which is being looked at as a way to pave peace in rest of, you know, West Asia.
04:00Do you suspect one protocol, two other regional players at play here, since there's a conflict on?
04:07Well, as I said, I don't know yet, but there's no doubt that there is an intensification of cooperation
04:14in the security field and in the intelligence field.
04:17In the last few years, we are defending the skies of the Middle East together
04:22with the cooperation of the United States and armies of the region and outside the region.
04:28This is very important, and this attack only, you know, stresses the importance of intensifying the cooperation even more,
04:35because we are not going to surrender to terrorism, and if we have to draw an example, this is the
04:40example,
04:40because the brave captain and the brave passengers and the brave crew of the company
04:47has shown us that when we unite, we can defeat terrorism.
04:51So this is the responsibility of the governments.
04:53We know that all the protocols were activated when the hijack sign was sent,
05:00and our civil aviation authorities, our air force entered into alert, combat jets were actually sent,
05:08and our prime minister was alert because, you know, whether this co-pilot would have been able to take control
05:18of the flight,
05:18maybe Israel would be attacked itself, and then the prime minister would have to make the call on whether to
05:24neutralize the plane.
05:25So this is very, very sensitive business.
05:27We will have to do the effort, the extra effort, to make sure that our protocols work,
05:33that people that shouldn't be involved in flying this plane won't be involved in the future,
05:39and we are going to make sure that happens.
05:42So that's a very big point you're making.
05:44So are you saying that one of the apprehensions was that this co-pilot,
05:48apparently a man of Omani origin, he could have taken control of the plane,
05:53either flown it to the ground, or flown it into a building like a repeat of 9-11?
05:59Well, we cannot discard that, and we have to be ready,
06:03and that's why I think it is essential that we will continue this cooperation,
06:10so we make sure that such incidents won't happen in the future.
06:14Sir, who investigates this? UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia, or together?
06:19Well, I think that each country is going to get their relevant agencies involved,
06:24and once the results come out, both on the civil aviation side and the intelligence side,
06:31we will find a way to communicate, as we have found it in the past.
06:37Sir, what can you tell us?
06:38What have you been able to learn, or what have agencies in Israel been able to learn
06:43about the role of Captain Schmidt-Machar in this entire incident?
06:47Well, according to the witness that was interviewed by the Prime Minister himself yesterday,
06:53the part that the Captain Schmidt-Machar played was crucial,
06:59because if he wouldn't have been able, as a result of the stabbing of him by the co-pilot,
07:07if he didn't have the resolve to get to the door and open it,
07:11there wasn't any way for the crew or for the passengers or for the other pilots to penetrate,
07:22and within a matter of seconds the plane could have collapsed into the ground.
07:27So the fact that he managed to open the door despite the pain that he was enduring I think is
07:35remarkable.
07:35And all our leadership, from the Prime Minister down, the President, the Head of the Israeli Parliament,
07:40and the entire Israeli people, all of them admire the Captain.
07:44I spoke with very senior leadership this morning, I cannot disclose,
07:50but we never forget people that come to assistance of the State of Israel in times of need.
07:55We will never forget this hero.
07:58He indeed is a great hero, and India and Israel are great partners in the war.
08:04Anyway, we will find a way to recognize it.
08:07Really?
08:08Yes.
08:08What does that mean, sir?
08:10You will see.
08:12That sounds very interesting.
08:14So, you know, for speaking to me here on India today, sir, many thanks.
08:18But before I let you go, I also want to figure out what kind of changes would Israel be looking
08:22at in protocols to ensure that there is no repeat of this incident.
08:25Well, we have to leave that work, that important work, to the professional agencies.
08:30I think it would be irresponsible for me as a non-expert to comment on these issues.
08:35Sir, for joining me here on India today.
08:37Ambassador, many thanks.
08:39So, the Israeli ambassador to India, Ambassador Ruvin Azhar, very clear about the role of the pilot and those on
08:46board that aircraft,
08:47and the fact that Israel intends to recognize the valor, the grit, and the determination of Captain Smith Machar.
08:55With cameraman Alok Das in Delhi, Gaurav Savant for India today.
