Netanyahu wants flydubai hero, Modi at Israel Independence day ceremony; 2 hurdles stand in way

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has invited flydubai incident hero Captain Smit Machchhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a ceremonial flame on Israel’s Independence Day next May. But the invitation does not guarantee that either will receive the honour.

Netanyahu made the invitation while speaking to 38-year-old Machchhar, who is undergoing treatment in a hospital in the UAE after an alleged attempt by his co-pilot to crash a flydubai flight bound for Israel.

Calling Machchhar a “hero” of Israel, India and the world, Netanyahu said the honour was normally reserved for Israeli citizens but suggested the pilot would be welcomed by Israelis.

“I invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi and you to light a flame on Israeli Independence Day,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu does not have sole power to select honourees

Despite the public invitation, Israel’s Independence Day ceremony follows a formal selection process.

Under Israeli state regulations, the prime minister cannot unilaterally decide who will light the ceremonial flames. The candidates are evaluated and selected by an independent public advisory committee.

Those selected must then receive formal approval through a ministerial process. In recent administrations, the process has been overseen by Likud minister Miri Regev.

Netanyahu can recommend Machchhar and Modi for the ceremony, but he cannot bypass these procedures or guarantee that they will ultimately be chosen.

October election could change who leads Israel

There is another uncertainty: Netanyahu may not even be Israel’s prime minister when the Independence Day ceremony is held in May 2027.

Israel is scheduled to hold national elections on October 27, 2026, several months before the ceremony. If Netanyahu’s coalition loses power, a new prime minister would take charge of the government and state celebrations.

Recent opinion polls indicate a closely divided electorate. One major survey put the anti-Netanyahu opposition at 52 seats and Netanyahu’s coalition at 51, with both sides falling short of the 61 seats required to form a government.

That means Netanyahu’s invitation to Machchhar and Modi is politically significant, but it cannot by itself secure their place at next year’s Independence Day ceremony.