Israel: ‘A Nation of Lions’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had one question for the man who subdued the terrorist aboard Flydubai Flight FZ 1073 en route to Tel Aviv, saving some 170 lives in the process. “How did you do it?” the Jewish state’s premier asked Yaniv Hayoun, who not only put the would-be martyr in a chokehold but also pulled on the yoke to pull the plane upwards after a plunge of 16,000 feet. Mr. Hayoum responded: “We are a nation of lions, aren’t we?”Or feature the Israeli dentist, Dr. Musaev Shota, who saved the life of another lion, the Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, who despite being gashed by the terrorist opened the cockpit door. Dr. Shota reflected that “I think everyone was a hero. I don’t think that I am a hero or someone else. Everyone, it was teamwork. A few more moments, and we wouldn’t have been here.” Dr. Shota, Mr. Hayoun, and others snatched a miracle from the jaws of tragedy.One online commentator, Saul Sadka, called the events of this morning a “sort of mini-Entebbe raid, but instead of elite paratroopers, an ad hoc group of Israeli everymen.” The everyman as hero is a trend at which Israel excels. Feature the first victim of 9/11, Daniel Lewin. A veteran of the Israel Defense Forces elite Sayeret Matkal unit — he was killed trying to stop the hijackers who eventually plowed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower.When Mr. Hayoun met Mr. Netanyahu, his shirt was still soaked with blood. He apologized to the prime minister, only to be told that “you are the honor,” meaning that this man who works in maintenance without any elevated background in security now is counted among the heroes of Israel. Mr. Hayoun explained to reporters afterwards that he sprung into action “because there was no one left in the cockpit.”That could double as a summary of the Israeli ethos, which, honed by military service and the imperative of survival, elevates action over passivity. Mr. Hayoun, who attributes his ability to save the plane to watching “Air Crash Investigations” on television, is offering a colloquial paraphrase of the ancient maxim from the rabbinic “Ethics of the Fathers,” which commands that “In a place where there are no man, strive to be a man.”Israelis have always improvised to thwart attacks. In 2015 Matan Choucroun used a selfie stick to stop a terrorist wielding a meat cleaver. The same day Mickey Ruhani stopped an assailant with an umbrella. He reflected that “I heard a woman screaming hysterically, and without thinking too much, I took my umbrella, because I didn’t have a weapon, and began to hit the terrorist.” In 2016, Yishay Montgomery saved lives with an acoustic guitar. This quality of acting “because there was no one left” is hardly limited to Israelis. There are already calls to honor Mr. Machchhar in Israel. His heroism and that of the Israelis onboard recalls the actions of those aboard United Airlines Flight 93, who on 9/11 fought a battle in the skies that likely prevented the plane from crashing into the United States Capitol. The constant attacks on Israel, though, mint heroes at an all-too rapid clip. At a time when the Jewish state is slandered worldwide, its critics consistently overlook its citizens’ spines of steel. Another one of those heroes is Asaf Rejwan, who also worked to secure the cockpit aboard the Flydubai flight. On returning to Israel he reflected that “I’m glad to be back in the Holy Land. I’m happy to be here, that we have this country, and that it takes care of us and is glad that we’re back. And that’s it. It’s good to be home.”

Israel: ‘A Nation of Lions’

Israel: ‘A Nation of Lions’

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