Netanyahu invites Modi, FlyDubai pilot to light torch 'on Israel’s independence day'

• The invitation includes lighting a torch alongside a "heroic Indian pilot"
• Modi expressed appreciation for the invitation

'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extending an invitation for the Indian leader to join "the independence day of the state of Israel."

The invitation also includes Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, calling him "a brave Indian pilot." 

मैंने अपने मित्र, भारत के प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी से बात की और उन्हें इज़राइल के स्वतंत्रता दिवस पर वीर भारतीय पायलट के साथ मशाल प्रज्वलित करने के लिए आमंत्रित किया। मोदी ने निमंत्रण के लिए मुझे धन्यवाद दिया और कहा कि ज़मीन पर और हवा में, भारत और इज़राइल आतंकवाद के ख़िलाफ़ मिलकर लड़ रहे हैं। उन्होंने हमारे बीच के मज़बूत और वर्षों पुराने संबंधों की भी सराहना की। 🇮🇱🇮🇳

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 22, 2026

Netanyahu also said that "Modi thanked me for the invitation and said that on land and in the air, India and Israel are fighting terrorism together. He also commended the strong and decades-old ties between us."

Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot for flydubai, had previously received a phone call from Netanyahu while recovering in the hospital following a mid-air emergency aboard a Tel Aviv-bound flight.

Machchhar described how he managed to unlock the cockpit door despite sustaining injuries during an alleged assault by his co-pilot, enabling crew members and passengers to enter and intervene.

Netanyahu commended Machchhar's quick action, and hailed him as a "hero of Israel, India, and the entire world,"