The real story of the flydubai hijacking is the bravery of the Israeli passengers - opinion

The well-known “Never Again” slogan, which became the motivational motto for the State of Israel, following one of the worst periods in the history of the Jewish people, not only vowed that they would not ever be herded off again by hostile nations, but it embodied the determined resistance that would be employed by those attempting to murder us.

“Never Again” was what we witnessed on Wednesday morning, when a flydubai plane nearly was taken over by a crazed Omani pilot, whose plan was to crash the carrier on Israeli soil, killing all 174 passengers aboard, including 27 children who were on their way to Israel.

The 737 was successfully diverted to Saudi Arabia after the crazed co-pilot, who began to repeatedly stab the other pilot, was taken down by a few brave Israeli passengers, who forced their way into the cockpit, neutralizing the terrorist.

Dozens of questions are yet to be answered, such as how did the pilot pass through security with a knife? Was he a lone attacker or aided by others on the ground, who purposely ignored warning signs? Did he plan this attack by himself or was this part of an Iranian plot?

The great miracle was that backup pilots happened to be on board, allowing the plane to land safely in Saudi Arabia.

While all these points of interest will be thoroughly explored, in order to understand how something this dramatic could happen at an altitude of 34,000 feet (approximately 10,360 meters high), the real standout, in this nightmare, has to be the brave Israelis who stormed the cockpit and were covered with blood once they took down the knife-wielding terrorist.

And, in a nutshell, this is why Israel is hated!

The bravery of Israelis

The 2,000-year-old image of helpless and defenseless Jews, being marched off, to Babylonian exile or to the death camps of Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Treblinka, is the preferred picture that the world would like to retain in their mind’s eye.

For them, it is a calming reminder that if Jews become too threatening for them, by way of accomplishing an inordinate amount of good for mankind, they can still cart them off to their deaths, to avoid the jealousy and feelings of inadequacy they inevitably feel.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Jews brought great blessing and know-how with them to the countries where they chose to reside. As they worked hard and rose to the top, they were inevitably blamed for the reason others excelled less.

The twisted logic was that if the Jews were removed from their host countries, that would give everyone else a greater advantage to accomplish more.

But the truth is that Jews seem to have been endowed with a special capacity for success that defies everything. How else can anyone explain their many inventions, breakthroughs, and advances that benefit all mankind. How is it possible that the vast majority of those truly amazing feats have come from a mere 0.2% of the world’s population, overshadowing the rest of humanity?

The possibilities are endless, and that’s what is so galling! The anti-Israel crowd is angry that Jews can soar to the greatest heights. They are angry that they also have the ability to defend themselves! They are furious when they fight back, and even more enraged when they take back control from their enemies.

What occurred on the flydubai flight was a microcosm of that kind of defense. Courageous Israeli souls, possessing the same kind of greatness and bravado as the mighty men of David, known as “the gibborim,” recorded in II Samuel 23:8-39, jumped into action, reminding everyone of the type of spirit they possess.

That was not the way this story was supposed to end. A cowardly Omani pilot, who either worked alone, or as a team with others, decided that another massacre needed to be executed in the middle of the Sukkot holiday, in case anyone forgot what happened just three years ago.

It was meant to be a reminder that the Jewish state is still vulnerable to attack, able to sustain mass casualties and eventually be emptied of all its glory and power.

To our great blessing, the co-pilot forgot that Israel is a divinely-established nation with constant protection from the Almighty. His lack of understanding as to who established us and who keeps us, was the same egregious error which resulted in the failure of his plan.

His underestimation of how Israeli passengers would react was also a major miscalculation, causing the Omani terrorist to cockily think that he could pull off another Jewish tragedy, following in a long line of so many others.

The time to favor Israel is clearly on this nation, as penned by the Psalmist who wrote, “You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her— the appointed time has come.” Psalm 102:13

Zion, another name for Israel, is the beloved creation of the same God who has preserved her throughout 2,000 years.

By breathing new life into her in 1947, He raised up those dry bones, as spoken of in Ezekiel 37, restoring that fighting spirit of bravery and daring, which characterized those who went to battle with the confidence of their Creator!

Rising from the ashes of the defenseless who were killed by the sword and driven out of their respective host countries, Israel stands as a monument to the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that “Never Again” is the engine, fueled by Almighty God.

This is the real story of flydubai! It is the continuation of what began when Abraham was told that the world would be blessed through his descendants and that they would prevail, even against all their enemies.

With God’s help, we have, indeed, been saved, yet again, from the eradication that continues to be planned towards all the Jewish people, whether in the land or abroad.

“Never Again” is God’s vow to His people, which no one can override, not even a crazed co-pilot!

The writer, a former principal of Jerusalem elementary and middle schools, was a member of Kibbutz Re’im from 1994 to 1999. She is the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs, available on Amazon.