Israeli President Honors Injured Indian Pilot for Heroism

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has sent a personal letter to Captain Smith Macher, an Indian pilot who was severely injured while fighting an attacker and managed to open the cockpit door. In the letter, delivered to Macher in the hospital, Herzog expressed Israel's deep gratitude for the pilot's courage, composure, and determination in the face of danger. The President also invited Macher to visit Jerusalem after his recovery.

Hersog noted Macher's exceptional bravery, highlighting his ability to overcome pain and make sound judgments despite the immediate threat to his life. "Your ability to find the strength to rise above the pain, confront the immediate threat to your life, and exercise judgment, attests to your strength of character and the great spirit of heroism with which you are endowed," Herzog wrote.

During a ceremony for the "President's Award for Civil Heroism" this week, Herzog announced his intention to also bestow this award upon the Indian captain, following the committee's recommendation. "I wish to express the appreciation and honor to the Indian pilot, Captain Smith Macher, who fought the attacker despite his severe injury, and managed with his remaining strength to open the cockpit door," the President said at the ceremony. "From here I send him, on behalf of all of us, wishes for a full and speedy recovery. I intend to honor him as well, as the committee recommended, with the President's Award for Civil Heroism."

President Herzog also drew a broader historical parallel, connecting Macher's act to the Indian soldiers who fought in the Holy Land over a century ago. "Your act of heroism places you in the honorable line of Indian soldiers who, more than a century ago, risked their lives to liberate cities in the Holy Land, thereby becoming an integral part of Israel's history," the President wrote. He added, "You too, Captain Macher, will henceforth become a dear part of our people's history, and an additional part that strengthens the connection between the Republic of India and the State of Israel."

Herzog concluded his letter by addressing Macher's ongoing recovery, noting that he is being treated in the United Arab Emirates and is in good hands. "As you slowly begin your recovery journey, I know you are in the best hands of our dear friends and partners in the United Arab Emirates," he wrote. The President reiterated his invitation to Jerusalem, expressing the nation's gratitude and anticipation for his visit once he has regained his strength.