Hero Plumber Who Stopped Flydubai Co-Pilot Meets Israeli PM, Sends Message to Trump

Yaniv Hayoun, the plumber who intervened to prevent a flydubai co-pilot from crashing a plane bound for Tel Aviv, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hayoun, still clad in blood-soaked clothes from the incident, conveyed a special message for President Donald Trump, whom he considers a hero: "Tell Trump that I love him."

Trump had previously lauded Hayoun's actions, describing him to reporters as a hero who "ripped this guy out of the seat, threw him back." The president's remarks came as an investigation into the co-pilot's motives is underway, with authorities examining potential links to terrorism. An Israeli official suggested the co-pilot had expressed antisemitic sentiments online, fueling speculation that radicalization played a role in the attempted hijacking.

Netanyahu stated that the co-pilot "underwent Islamist radical indoctrination" and expressed that "it looks very likely that he was going to down the plane." It remains unclear how the co-pilot, whose home country Oman has no diplomatic ties with Israel, was able to work the flight, which was eventually landed by two off-duty pilots in Saudi Arabia.

Hayoun recounted the events to Netanyahu, saying, "When I went in, I saw the terrorist on the control. I grabbed the terrorist, put him in a hold, and pulled him outside."