Herzog to Recommend Civilian Medal of Valor for Heroes of Flydubai Flight

President Isaac Herzog announced today (Thursday) that he intends to recommend awarding the "President’s Medal for Civilian Valor" to the four Israelis who acted during the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel: Yaniv Hiyon, Dr. Shota Musaev, Tzvika Mans, and Asaf Rajuan.

According to the President’s Residence, after one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot and the plane began losing altitude, the Indian captain, Samit Machhar, struggled with the attacker and opened the cockpit door. Tali Mans alerted others to the unusual incident, prompting Hiyon, Mans, and Rajuan to rush to help, enter the cockpit, and subdue the attacker while risking their own lives. Hiyon stabilized the plane’s controls.

After the attacker was neutralized, Dr. Musaev provided lifesaving medical treatment to the critically injured pilot and helped stabilize his condition until the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. The swift actions of the passengers and crew, it was said, prevented a major disaster.

Herzog spoke with the four and informed them that he would bring their story before the medal’s advisory committee and recommend that they receive it: "At a moment when the lives of so many people were in danger, you acted without hesitation, with courage, resourcefulness, and extraordinary mutual responsibility. You put yourselves at risk to save others and prevented a major disaster."

Dr. Musaev told the president: "We were all heroes. All the passengers were heroes." Rajuan said he acted out of an instinct "to survive, to save the family, the people, and the children," while Hiyon said: "I’m happy we’re here, happy that it’s all behind us."

Herzog also thanked Tali Mans and Captain Machhar, who, he said, "through his determination and actions made the neutralization possible and saved many lives."

The President’s Medal for Civilian Valor was established during the war and is intended to honor civilians who acted with extraordinary courage and at real risk to their lives in order to save others. The medal, the highest award in the field of civilian valor, is granted after cases are reviewed and recommended by an advisory committee. In recent years, it has been awarded, among others, to heroes who stood out during the October 7 events in communities surrounding Gaza and in other cases.