Tel Aviv, Oct. 3 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday (local time) spoke with Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who displayed extraordinary courage and helped save lives after being attacked by his Omani co-pilot aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv during the September 30 terrorist attack, and praised his courage and composure during the confrontation inside the cockpit.

During the conversation, Netanyahu invited Captain Machchhar and his "dear friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a celebratory flame on Israel's next Independence Day, calling the Indian pilot "a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel" and "a hero of the entire world".

"I want to invite you and my dear friend, ...