Trump Praises Israeli Plumber Who Thwarted Flydubai Flight Attack

U.S. President Donald Trump lauded Yiniv Chayon, an Israeli plumber who was among the heroes of a recent Flydubai flight where an attempted terror attack was thwarted. In a video message, Trump called Chayon "a guy after my own heart" and praised his actions, stating, "He saved that flight. He did an amazing job."

Trump recounted that he learned about the incident from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he described as "amazing." According to Trump, Chayon, who had never flown a plane before, saw what was happening, entered the cockpit, and managed to pull the steering wheel away from the co-pilot who was attempting to crash the plane. Trump noted that Chayon's strength, likely from his plumbing work, helped him in the struggle. "When you lift pipes all day, you have to be strong," Trump said, adding, "I don't know if it's true, but that's what Bibi told me."

Chayon himself described the harrowing moments to Prime Minister Netanyahu upon landing in Israel. He explained how he subdued the attacker, who was attempting to damage the aircraft's instruments, and then, with the help of other Israelis, worked to regain control of the plane. Chayon attributed his knowledge of how to operate the aircraft to watching the TV show "Air Crash Investigation."

Other individuals involved in subduing the attacker and the co-pilot, including insurance agent Assaf Radwan, Zvika Mans, and Dr. Shota Musayev and his wife Sigalit, also received praise. President of Israel Isaac Herzog thanked them and the Indian pilot of the flight for saving lives.