On the way to Saudi Arabia we passed through the Netherlands and Switzerland: The foiling of two attacks against "El Al" planes in 1969 and 1970
A Maariv reporter connects the heroism of passengers on yesterday's Flydubai flight with two historical foiled attacks against El Al planes: the battle in the snow in Zurich in 1969, where security guard Mordechai Rahamim prevented a disaster, and the assault by flight attendant Shlomo Vider and the dive of captain Uri Bar-Lev on flight 219 in 1970. The article presents these events as a legacy of proactive engagement and Israeli spirit.
A Maariv article by Gideon Mitsnik connects the heroism of passengers on yesterday's Flydubai flight (which reportedly landed in Saudi Arabia) with two historical foiled attacks against El Al planes from about 56 years ago. The first event is the attack in Zurich, Switzerland, on February 18, 1969, where a cell of four terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine attacked El Al flight 432. Young El Al security guard Mordechai Rahamim, a Sayeret Matkal veteran, exited the plane and engaged in a close-range gunfight, killing the cell leader and preventing a disaster. Rahamim was put on trial in Switzerland, and during the trial Israel admitted for the first time to having security guards on its planes. The second event is the attempted hijacking of El Al flight 219 on September 6, 1970, en route from New York to Israel. Chief flight attendant Shlomo Vider, a former commando, attacked an armed terrorist with his bare hands and was severely wounded. Captain Uri Bar-Lev performed a sharp dive that caused the terrorists to lose balance, and security guard Moti Bar Levav neutralized them. Vider survived and received a medal of courage. The article emphasizes that the legacy of these events, taught in security guard courses but unknown to the general public, is the essence of the Israeli spirit of refusing to be a passive victim.