At a Jerusalem gathering three years after the October 7 attacks, former hostages, a passenger who helped thwart an attempted plane crash, and Christian supporters from around the world recount loss, survival, and solidarity with Israel

“Nothing was going through my mind. You’re like a robot. You just want to protect your family. That’s it. Nothing else.”

Yaniv Moshe Hayun was recalling to The Media Line the terrifying moments aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 on September 30, when an attack in the cockpit sent the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv aircraft into a steep descent. His wife and daughters were aboard, and as the plane plunged, he feared he might never reach them again.

The Omani co-pilot had attacked Capt. Smit Machchhar with an emergency axe before seizing the controls. Despite serious injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene. Hayun and others helped overpower the attacker and assist the wounded captain, while two other pilots aboard the flight eventually landed the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates subsequently said the co-pilot had intended to crash the aircraft into a terminal at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in a suicide attack inspired by the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.

A week after his ordeal, Hayun was in Jerusalem for a gathering commemorating the third anniversary of the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. He was still struggling to describe what had happened.

“I don’t know what to call it. A terrible miracle? You know, a terrible story that ended in a miracle.”

Hayun was among those attending the Friends of Zion Ambassador Summit, which brought together Christian and Jewish leaders, diplomats, former hostages, bereaved families, wounded Israelis, and supporters of Israel from around the world.

The central commemoration took place on October 7 at Jerusalem’s Southern Wall, drawing more than 2,000 participants, according to organizers. The gathering was organized by Friends of Zion founder Dr. Mike Evans in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Released hostages Bar Kuperstein, Sagui Dekel Chen, Agam Berger, and Evyatar David appeared alongside relatives of those murdered on October 7. Kuperstein attended with his grandfather, Holocaust survivor Michael Kuperstein, while Berger performed “Hallelujah.” Hayun received the Friends of Zion “Here Am I” Award in recognition of his actions aboard the Flydubai flight.

Australian journalist Erin Molan and actor Nate Buzolic hosted the evening.

For Evans, an American Christian evangelist who has spent more than four decades mobilizing support for Israel and the Jewish people, the gathering was intended to challenge the perception that Israel had been abandoned by the wider world.

“This evening is much more than an event. It is a message to the world: Israel and the Jewish people are not alone,” Evans said.

Among those sharing their experiences was former hostage Evyatar David, 25, of Kfar Saba, who was abducted from the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, and held by Hamas in Gaza for 738 days.

David described the psychological torment of captivity, including attempts by his captors to convince him that the Israeli government, the United States, and even his family had abandoned him. News of the first hostage-release agreement eventually gave him hope that he, too, might return home.

Yet when he reflected on what remained most painful, his thoughts returned to the friends who had been murdered at the festival.

But I think the thing that probably goes with me the most until now, it’s my dear friends that got murdered at the Nova Music Festival

“But I think the thing that probably goes with me the most until now, it’s my dear friends that got murdered at the Nova Music Festival.”

David’s experience had also changed his appreciation of everyday life. Freed in October 2025, he urged others not to take ordinary freedoms and relationships for granted.

“Just appreciate everything, your family, your parents, your brothers, your sisters, the sunlight, the stars, every little thing you can think of right now that you’re sitting on your couch, on your chairs, OK? Appreciate it,” he told The Media Line.

The summit was part of a broader Friends of Zion campaign to confront antisemitism, strengthen Christian-Jewish relations, and bring international visitors into direct contact with Israelis affected by October 7.

Building on an initiative launched in December 2025, when approximately 1,000 pastors and Christian leaders visited Israel, this year’s program included a 24-hour Global Prayer Event broadcast from Jerusalem on October 7 and 8.

The broadcasts connected churches, ministries, prayer groups, and individual participants across multiple time zones, with prayers for Jerusalem, remembrance of those murdered on October 7, support for survivors and bereaved families, and appeals to confront antisemitism internationally.

A preliminary report provided to The Media Line by Friends of Zion recorded approximately 191.7 million social media views across event-related content and participating networks, with online activity reaching 167 countries. The figures were not independently verified and may include repeated views by the same users.

The organization subsequently reported an estimated global reach exceeding 250 million people in 176 countries, although that broader measure is not directly comparable with the earlier social media view counts.

The television broadcasts involved TCT Network and GOD TV as international partners, alongside additional Christian networks and regional broadcasters in several countries.

The campaign also included “The Whole World Sings Together,” a multilingual musical project created by Evans and produced through remote collaboration among 17 singers from different countries. Inspired in part by the 1985 charity anthem “We Are the World,” the song sought to convey remembrance, hope, and solidarity across national and cultural boundaries.

Summit participants also met President Isaac Herzog, visited Yad Vashem, and attended events at the Nova festival site and other locations associated with the October 7 attacks.

For many visitors, those encounters brought a different perspective from what they had previously understood through religious teachings, news reports, or social media.

Tom Saunders, from Victoria, Canada, described a day that had exposed him both to Israel’s suffering and to the determination of its people.

“It’s been both a heavy day and a day of recognition of how the people of this land have pulled together and have gripped again the hope that has kept them going over and over and over, and that’s the message that’s come through,” he told The Media Line.

After attending events at the Museum of Tolerance and listening to speakers discuss the anniversary, Saunders said his visit had challenged some of his previous perceptions of Israel. He was struck by the country’s small size and population, and by its determination to persevere despite repeated adversity.

Karen Pereira, a Florida resident originally from Brazil, was visiting Israel for the first time with a prayer-house group from Washington, DC. Seeing places she had known only through the Bible deepened her personal connection with the country.

“I can see everything that I read in the Bible in person, so it’s something that is coming inside from my heart, and now I can say that I love the people from here and I pray for them,” she told The Media Line.

Christalia Angels, who lives in Orlando and is also associated with the Washington, DC, prayer house, viewed the visit partly as an educational opportunity.

Her group had brought 77 young adults to Israel, hoping firsthand encounters would help them evaluate information about the country independently.

“To me, it’s very important … it’s a global prayer, so we are part of history, so it’s very important to teach this young generation how to love and defend Israel,” she told The Media Line.

Angels was particularly concerned about antisemitism and misinformation circulating on social media. She wanted younger visitors to form their own impressions rather than depend entirely on what they encountered online.

Christian organizations represented at the summit also described extensive international networks supporting Israel through prayer, advocacy, and personal relationships.

Dr. Jürgen Bühler, president of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, said participation in a global prayer initiative had reached 140 nations. He described the international Christian response as one of “solidarity, of friendship, of fighting antisemitism.”

Having lived in Israel for 30 years, Bühler said he had witnessed the country’s resilience through repeated periods of violence. He pointed particularly to communities near Gaza, where residents had endured profound trauma but remained determined to return and rebuild.

Bühler also discussed a separate daily prayer gathering that he said had attracted participants from 185 countries and territories, including Antarctica.

“I’m not sure who that is, but either the penguins or researchers there are praying,” he told The Media Line.

Tom Hess, president of All Nations Convocation Jerusalem, described another longstanding expression of Christian commitment to Israel. He said the Jerusalem House of Prayer for All Nations had maintained continuous prayer for 39 years, supported by a movement he estimated involved 40 million people in 138 nations, “believing God that nothing like this will ever happen again, because we know that he who watches over Israel never slumbers nor sleeps.”

Dr. Jay Strack, president and founder of Student Leadership University, played a key role in planning the summit. He traced his support for Israel to his religious beliefs but said personal relationships with Israelis had given that commitment deeper meaning.

When you know the people, it’s not a movement

“When you know the people, it’s not a movement.”

For Strack, solidarity required more than sympathetic statements. He wanted Christians to demonstrate publicly that they would stand alongside Israelis confronting threats and hostility.

“We want to say to the world, if you mess with Israel, you’re gonna have to mess with us,” he said.

At the same time, he acknowledged that supporting Israel did not mean agreeing with every decision made by its government.

“Now, Israel is not a 100% always right, but neither are we. We’ve never been close to a 100%.”

Strack also expressed concern about antisemitism in American politics and encouraged voters to translate their convictions into action. He opposed allowing Iran to acquire nuclear weapons while acknowledging the suffering that military confrontation could inflict on civilians.

For Gary “Judge” Brown II, executive vice president of TCT Ministries, the visit was his first to Israel. Seeing places he had studied in Sunday school and described in sermons proved unexpectedly emotional.

“I didn’t expect to cry, but it’s amazing,” he told The Media Line.

Brown recalled viewing footage of the October 7 attacks at the Israeli Embassy. He was horrified not only by the violence but also by scenes he understood to show attackers celebrating their actions.

His response centered on confronting antisemitism while praying for healing and reconciliation.

“We stand with them and pray for peace in the Middle East. We pray that God would move and heal and restore in this land.”

Brown was also troubled by the influence of social media on public understanding of Israel and the wider Middle East. He questioned whether people relying on online content were receiving reliable information and encouraged visitors to experience the country for themselves.

The struggle over public perceptions of Israel was a central concern for Sylvan Adams, president of the World Jewish Congress Israel Region, who partnered in the event and addressed the gathering at Jerusalem’s Davidson Center.

Adams expressed alarm at what he regarded as the spread of false accounts of October 7, particularly among younger people. He argued that even footage recorded by the attackers themselves had failed to prevent misleading narratives from circulating widely.

He placed much of the blame on Qatar, accusing the Gulf state of orchestrating an international disinformation campaign against Israel.