Grieving Sister Recounts Near-Death Flight Experience at Soldier's Memorial

Miriam Ohayon, sister of fallen soldier Sgt. Avitar Ohayon, recounted a harrowing flight experience at her brother's memorial ceremony on Sunday at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem. Ohayon, a Golani Brigade fighter, fell on October 7th. Miriam Ohayon was traveling to Israel from the UAE on a Flydubai flight when the co-pilot, Homaam Al-Hamami, reportedly attacked the Indian captain with a knife and attempted to dive the plane. Ohayon described to attendees how she was certain she was about to die and join her brother, but a "miraculous deliverance" occurred. She stated that the plane was only 30 seconds from landing when the incident happened, and that she owes her life to the heroic actions of the crew and passengers. The captain, despite being injured, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing four Israeli passengers, Yaniv Hayon, Dr. Shota Musaev, Zvika Mans, and Assaf Rejwan, to storm the cockpit and subdue the attacker. The flight ultimately made a successful emergency landing. Ohayon expressed profound gratitude for being alive to stand at her brother's grave, attributing her survival to divine intervention and her brother's influence. The dramatic events aboard the flight, which occurred last Wednesday, have been widely discussed among the ceremony attendees as a remarkable instance of personal providence.