Trump praises Israeli plumber who stopped Dubai hijacker

Trump's TikTok tribute (Photo: Trump TikTok)

US President Donald Trump posted a personal TikTok video overnight Thursday praising Yaniv Chion, the Israeli who helped subdue the Omani co-pilot who attempted to hijack and crash a Fly Dubai flight. "Thank you, Yaniv!" Trump wrote alongside the video.

"I just want to thank and congratulate Yaniv Chion, who is an Israeli plumber, and he's a Trump fan. I'm a fan of his, a big fan. He saved the flight yesterday," Trump declared in the video. Referring to the unusual background that enabled Chion to act in the critical moment, the president added with characteristic humor: "He did an amazing job. He got there and learned how to fly by watching the series 'Air Crash Investigation' on television, and he's a sweetheart of a guy."

Trump continued heaping praise on the Nes Tziona plumber: "He can be my plumber. He can be whatever he wants to be. What a job he did. He's a hero. And I just want to congratulate him and his family. You love me and I love you. Thank you, Yaniv."

Chion, 38, from Nes Tziona, found himself in the middle of an airborne battle when the passenger flight turned into a combat zone against the Omani terrorist Homam al-Hamami. Alongside a group of other Israeli heroes on the plane, including Tzvi Manes, Asaf Rejwan, and dentist Dr. Shota Mosaev, who treated the captain after he was stabbed, Chion acted with cool-headed resourcefulness that saved lives.

At the critical stage of the struggle, it was Chion who managed to stabilize the aircraft and prevent the suicidal pilot from disabling the central instrument panel. The fact that he drew his critical knowledge from extensive viewing of the famous investigation series turned fiction into reality, and saved the lives of dozens of innocent passengers.

Alex Bystram, executive producer of "Air Crash Investigation," addressed the incident Friday in an interview on Kan Reshet Bet's "This Morning" program. "He was under attack, and yet he managed to do the one thing that could save the plane, open the door," Bystram said of the Indian captain.

According to Bystram's assessment, the plane was only about 90 seconds away from a fatal ground impact. "This is the first time I've read in the news that someone managed to take control of a plane because of something he saw on our show," he said with emotion. "I couldn't believe that a viewer of ours saved a plane."

President Yitzchak Herzog spoke with the four Israelis who acted with extraordinary courage during the flight, Yaniv Chion, Dr. Shota Mosaev, Tzvi Manes, and Asaf Rejwan. During the incident, after one of the pilots stabbed the other and the plane began losing altitude, the Israelis acted quickly and decisively.

The president announced his intention to bring their story of heroism before the advisory committee for the "President's Medal for Courage" and to recommend awarding the medal to all four. "In moments when the lives of so many people were in danger, you acted without hesitation, with courage, resourcefulness, and extraordinary mutual responsibility. You risked your lives to save the lives of others," the president told them.

Trump said Thursday that he is considering renewing the campaign against Iran in the coming weeks, stating: "Now I have to make a decision: either Iran signs the deal, or it won't exist anymore." In a conversation with reporters, the American president linked Iran to the attempted attack on the Fly Dubai flight. When asked whether he believes there is a connection between Iran and the Omani pilot, he replied: "We're checking that. From what I'm hearing, yes." He added: "If it turns out Iran is behind the attack, we will strike them hard."