How Israel Got This MiG-21 That Sean Connery Posed Next To Was Like A Real-Life Bond Movie

It’s not exactly clear why Connery was in Israel, although the visit seems to have occurred in November 1967, after the Six-Day War fought in June between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

The most well-known part of the story begins with the Iraqi Air Force MiG-21F-13 Fishbed — among the very first production versions of this iconic Soviet-made jet — landing at Hatzor Air Base in central Israel, on August 16, 1966. At the controls was an Iraqi defector, Munir Redfa. When touching down in Israel, the jet still wore its Iraqi Air Force markings and carried the Arabic serial number “534” on its nose.