Trump praises Israeli passenger who helped subdue attacker on Flydubai flight

US President Donald Trump publicly thanked Yaniv Hayoun, an Israeli plumber who helped subdue an attacker aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 and helped steady the aircraft, in a video message posted on Truth Social. The Hill reported the message went out Friday morning, while the New York Post described Trump's remarks as coming on Saturday and said he also called Hayoun a 'Trump fan' and said, 'I'm a fan of his - a big fan.' Trump said Hayoun 'did an amazing job,' called him 'my kind of guy,' said 'he can be my plumber,' and said 'he's a hero.' According to The Hill, the flight, which was en route to Tel Aviv, was diverted for an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a second air crew aboard took over the controls. The New York Post reported the attacker was a 'radicalized Omani copilot' who had stabbed the pilot; The Hill's account opens by saying a pilot stabbed his co-pilot, and it reports that Indian airline Capt. Smit Machchhar was taken to a hospital for stab wounds and that the co-pilot was arrested and interrogated by Saudi authorities, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Hill reported that Hayoun worked with three other passengers to subdue the attacker before he took control of the jet's steering controls to stabilize the aircraft, which had descended into free fall during the attack. The New York Post said Hayoun and other passengers wrestled the controls from the attacker.

The Hill reported that Hayoun had no formal flight training and said he relied on knowledge from watching 'Air Crash Investigation,' a television series that presents dramatized reconstructions of real air disasters. The New York Post said he learned how to stabilize the plane during its descent from the Smithsonian Channel's 'Air Disasters' program.

The New York Post reported that Trump's video included clips from a meeting between Hayoun and US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who gave the plumber a red MAGA hat signed by Trump and told him, 'Thank you for saving the lives of 170 people.' The Post said Huckabee posted the clip on X on Friday, and that the president's video was filmed in the Oval Office.

According to The Hill, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced on Thursday that he was nominating Hayoun and three other passengers involved in the intervention for the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism. In a social media post translated from Hebrew, Herzog wrote that everyone present in those moments 'mobilized, acted with courage, supported one another in mutual responsibility, and helped prevent a severe disaster.'

The Hill reported that Capt. Smit Machchhar was taken to the hospital for medical attention for stab wounds sustained during the attack, and that Netanyahu said on Wednesday that the co-pilot was arrested and interrogated by Saudi authorities.

In taped comments with Huckabee, Hayoun spoke of the 'little miracles' that allowed him and other passengers to wrestle the controls from the attacker, and said in Hebrew that he felt the public's gratitude toward him and Trump, who he said had done much for his country, was insufficient. He thanked Trump and said how much they value and love him and the president 'for what you are doing for our country,' according to the New York Post.

Where sources differ

• Timing of Trump's video message: The New York Post places his comments on Saturday, while The Hill reports the video message was shared Friday morning.
• Roles in the stabbing: The New York Post says the 'radicalized Omani copilot' stabbed the pilot; The Hill's account opens by saying a pilot stabbed his co-pilot, while also reporting that Capt. Smit Machchhar was hospitalized with stab wounds and that the co-pilot was arrested.
• The television program Hayoun cited: The New York Post names the Smithsonian Channel's 'Air Disasters,' while The Hill names 'Air Crash Investigation.'
• Number of passengers who intervened: The Hill specifies three other passengers alongside Hayoun; the New York Post refers to other passengers without giving a number.

• Neither source gives the departure city or origin airport of the flight, or a precise date for the attack beyond The Hill's 'this week.'
• No statement, defence or legal representative of the arrested co-pilot appears in either source, and his name is not reported.
• Neither source reports any comment from Flydubai, the airline operating the flight, or from UAE aviation authorities.
• Saudi authorities are said to have arrested and interrogated the co-pilot, but no Saudi official statement or comment appears in either source.
• The other passengers who assisted are not named, and their conditions are not reported.
• The total number of people on board is not established; the New York Post reports only that Huckabee cited 170 people saved.
• No information is given on charges filed, the status of any investigation, or the condition of the co-pilot.
• Neither source explains the discrepancy between the two outlets' dates for Trump's video message.

1. New York Post — original — by Geoff Earle
2. The Hill — by Sarah Davis
3. The Straits Times — by The Straits Times
4. LA Times — by Ana Ceballos
5. Arab News — by AP
6. NPR News — by Rachel Treisman

Read the original at New York Post

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