Dr. Shota Musaev, who helped the pilot during the Flydubai incident, arrived Friday with his family at the Chabad synagogue in the New Nechalat Yehuda neighborhood of Rishon LeZion, where he recited the traditional Hagomel blessing after being delivered from danger.
The Rabbi blessed Musaev and his family with health and protection and offered a prayer for the safety of the people of Israel. Following the Hagomel blessing, the congregation held a thanksgiving celebration with family and community members, who later danced together.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the investigation into the attempted attack aboard the Flydubai flight in a video released ahead of the holiday. Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone Islamist radicalization and that authorities were investigating whether foreign parties had sent him on the flight.
"He came to crash the plane with its passengers. Whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price," Netanyahu said.
Earlier, Dr. Anwar Gargash, an Emirati minister, described the incident as "a dangerous terror incident and a grave tragedy," marking the first public statement by a senior UAE official on the attempted attack.
Gargash also praised the Indian pilot for his actions during the incident, saying, "Great credit is due to the Indian pilot who thwarted the attack. His professionalism and moral sense in the most difficult circumstances present him as a true hero."