Netanyahu invites Modi to light torch with Smit on I-Day

Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said he spoke with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and invited him to light a torch together with Indian pilot Smit Machchhar on the Jewish state's Independence Day.

In a post on X, the Israeli Prime Minister also said that PM Modi appreciated the "strong, long-standing ties" between the two countries.

"I spoke with my friend, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and invited him to light a torch - together with a brave Indian pilot - on Israel's Independence Day," Netanyahu said. "Modi thanked me for the invitation and said that, on the ground and in the air, India and Israel are fighting together against terrorism," he added.

Indian pilot Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured by his co-pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, on Sept 30. The flight was carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and restrain the attacker.

The plane later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Machchhar, who has been hailed as a "hero" by Modi and Netanyahu for his courage, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates.

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