President Isaac Herzog presented the Presidential Medal of Civilian Heroism at the President’s Residence today to six Israelis who acted during the incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, subduing the attacker and helping save the lives of the 174 passengers on board.
The six recipients are Or Bardilov, Yaniv Hayoun, Dr. Shota Musayev, Tali Manes, Zvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan.
Addressing the six at the ceremony, Herzog said, “I have the privilege and honor of hosting you here at the President’s Residence, honoring the extraordinary civilian heroism embodied in your actions, and witnessing one of the most chilling aviation stories known to humanity in general and Israeli society in particular."
Herzog described this as an incident in which there was no time to prepare or plan a response.
“A story in which there was no time to think, formulate a plan, consult or prepare. A story written without orders and without a briefing. Without ranks and without prior coordination. A story in which fate was decided in a moment," he said.
In his speech, the president described how the medal recipients acted as the plane lost control and altitude.
“At great altitude, in an aircraft that had lost control and was rapidly losing altitude, in freefall, amid seconds of chaos and fear, the lives of 174 passengers hung in the balance - and who knows how many more people on the ground," Herzog said.
The president highlighted Tali Manes’ role in noticing what was happening and calling for help, as well as Yaniv Hayoun, Zvika Manes, Or Bardilov and Asaf Rajuan, who rushed toward the attacker, subdued him and helped restore control of the aircraft.
He also praised Dr. Shota Musayev, who assisted in subduing the attacker and provided the injured pilot with lifesaving medical treatment.
“You are the six who prevented a major aviation disaster - a disaster that could have changed the face of the State of Israel and the Middle East," the president said.
Herzog also praised the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, who, he said, fought the attacker despite being seriously wounded and managed to open the cockpit door.
The president wished him a full recovery and announced that he intends to award him the Presidential Medal of Civilian Heroism as well, following the committee’s recommendation.
He also thanked the replacement pilots and other passengers who assisted during the incident, noting that their story would be studied in the future.
Alongside his words of praise, Herzog stressed that the acts of heroism do not eliminate the need for a full investigation into the incident.
“The civilian heroism and resourcefulness demonstrated by the heroes here cannot absolve us of the duty to get full answers. Everyone, all of us, deserve clear and satisfactory answers," he said.
The president went on to focus on the solidarity displayed by the passengers who confronted the danger together.
“You did not stop to ask one another, ‘Which side are you on?’ ‘Who are you going to vote for in the election?’ ‘Where do you come from?’ or ‘What is your worldview?’ For a moment, you did not look for what separated you. Because at the moment when the plane was in the air and lives hung in the balance, all the disagreements became meaningless.
“Only one thing remained: the person beside you. Your responsibility toward him. Your duty to save him. The sacred mutual responsibility we share."
“On behalf of the State of Israel, on behalf of the passengers of Flydubai Flight 1073 whose lives you saved, and on behalf of everyone who believes in the power of mutual responsibility - I salute you," Herzog concluded.
“For your courage. For your resourcefulness. For your determination. And for something so simple, so human and so profoundly Israeli: at the moment when you had to choose - you chose life."