Indian pilot Smit Machchhar’s heroism is beyond dispute. What is open to question is Netanyahu’s decision to personally invite him to light a national torch when the final selection does not rest with the prime minister alone.
BY PC Bureau
October 4, 2026: The Israeli prime minister has now personally spoken to Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, praised him as a hero of Israel, India and the world, and invited him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a ceremonial flame at Israel’s Independence Day celebrations.
There is also a small but significant problem with the language of Netanyahu’s invitation.
Netanyahu presented the torch-lighting as an extraordinary honour, saying it was normally reserved for Israeli citizens but that Machchhar would be welcomed by Israelis.
The ceremony is indeed one of Israel’s most prominent national rituals. Twelve torches are traditionally lit on Independence Day eve, symbolising the 12 tribes of Israel. But the selection of torch-lighters is not simply a matter for the prime minister.
According to the Knesset, candidates are recommended through a public advisory committee established under the government’s framework for the ceremony. The candidates are then selected according to the theme and criteria established for that year’s ceremony. The rules generally call for Israeli citizens or residents, although an exception can be made for a non-citizen or non-resident associated with the ceremony’s theme.
The Times of Israel therefore pointed out an important detail that was largely absent from the celebratory coverage: Netanyahu does not have unilateral authority to decide who will light the torches.
That makes his announcement politically significant even if the formal selection still has to follow the established process.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a conversation with the Indian pilot from the flight from Dubai, Captain Smit Machchhar:
“You are a hero for Israel, India, and the entire world. I invite Prime Minister @NarendraModi and you to light a flame on Israeli Independence Day.” 🇮🇱🇮🇳During the emotional conversation that took place this evening, the Prime Minister asked Captain Machchhar how it all started, and Machchhar revealed new details about the terrifying moments in the cockpit.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 3, 2026
READ: “How Netanyahu Is Turning an Indian Pilot’s Heroics Into Political Capital at Home
The Indian connection is useful to Netanyahu
The Modi element may be even more politically useful than the pilot himself.
India is a major international partner for Israel, and Modi is one of the foreign leaders with whom Netanyahu has cultivated a highly visible personal relationship.
By inviting Modi to share the stage with an Indian pilot hailed as a hero for saving an Israel-bound aircraft, Netanyahu can project an image of international solidarity around Israel at a time when his government faces diplomatic pressure over the wars and continuing criticism at home over security failures.
It also gives the story an Indian dimension at precisely the moment when Netanyahu wants the central message to be about Israel’s security and the international recognition of its struggle against what he portrays as terrorism.
None of this diminishes Machchhar’s achievement.
The pilot’s actions can be recognised independently of the politics surrounding them. He was severely injured, the aircraft was in danger and he took a decision that enabled people outside the cockpit to intervene.
But Machchhar’s heroism and Netanyahu’s political use of that heroism are two separate question
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