(This week, a remarkable moment from Asaf Rejuwan, who
survived the horrifying attempted hijacking of Flight 1073 this week. He posted
this on Facebook and I felt “Israel Watch” is honored to post in this space.)
I don’t usually post on social media, but today I felt something burning deep inside me that I simply had to share.
Ever since the incident in which a terrorist’s attempt to hijack a Flydubai flight was thwarted, there has been extensive media coverage. I’ve been asked many times what factors I believe prevented the terrible disaster that could have befallen our people had that despicable terrorist succeeded in his plans.
Today, I believe I received a very special and meaningful answer to that question.
Naturally, after the incident ended and we landed safely in Israel, I felt the need to thank so many people: the passengers who cooperated, my lioness of a wife, all the mothers and fathers who protected their loved ones, the children who remained composed, and every Israeli passenger on that plane.
Yesterday, I was part of a group of passengers interviewed by an international news channel. As each passenger described their experience during the flight, we realized something very important—something you can only fully understand after the dust settles and you begin discussing the smallest details of what happened.
We realized that every single passenger on that flight had a role to play. Every passenger contributed in some way.
One passenger was responsible for communicating with Israel’s security services.
I discovered that another passenger had provided a mobile hotspot and made sure to share the connection with others.
Another woman sat quietly and recited Psalms.
One passenger gathered headphone cords to help restrain the terrorist.
Other passengers used GPS maps to track our location and determine where we might land.
An Australian passenger was the only person on the plane who could make calls back to Israel from Saudi Arabia.
And the list goes on.
Of course, there was the amazing Yaniv, the wonderful Tzvika and Tali, the heroic Shota, the remarkable Or, and many other wonderful people who stepped forward to help.
After experiencing such an extraordinary miracle, I had no doubt that I would attend synagogue on Saturday morning to recite Birkat HaGomel—the traditional Jewish prayer thanking the God of Israel for deliverance from danger.
I am not a religious person. I believe in God in my own way, and I don’t usually look for signs in everything.
But today, something happened that completely astonished me.
By pure chance, during the synagogue service, I found myself reading a verse from the Torah, Deuteronomy 33:26:
“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His majesty rides the skies.”
אֵין כָּאֵל יְשֻׁרוּן רֹכֵב שָׁמַיִם בְּעֶזְרֶךָ וּבְגַאֲוָתוֹ שְׁחָקִים
I read the verse, stopped, and felt goosebumps. So did the other worshippers who knew my story and understood why I was there.
After everything that happened on that flight—the fear, the struggle to overpower the terrorist, and the realization of just how thin the line between life and death truly is—finding myself reading those exact words, “rides the heavens to help you,” was a moment I can hardly explain.
I don’t know whether it was divine providence, a coincidence, or simply a moment that carried an extraordinarily deep personal meaning.
But today, as I stood in the synagogue reciting Birkat HaGomel, I felt one overwhelming emotion:
Gratitude.
Thank you for life.
Thank you for the miracle.
And thank you for the privilege of standing here today and being able to tell this story.
Am Yisrael Chai!