Uganda unveils statue of Israel PM's brother who died in Entebbe rescue mission
Yonatan Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier to die as he led a mission to free more than 100 hostages.
Uganda has unveiled a statue honoring Yonatan Netanyahu, the elder brother of Israel's prime minister, who lost his life during the Entebbe hostage rescue mission five decades ago.
General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's army chief, stated that the monument serves as a tribute to Netanyahu's bravery and selfless dedication. Netanyahu was the sole Israeli soldier to die in the raid, which successfully freed over 100 hostages. The hostages had been aboard an Air France flight that originated in Tel Aviv, was hijacked by two Palestinians and two Germans, and subsequently diverted to Uganda's international airport.
Kainerugaba characterized the mission as "one of the most significant episodes in modern history" and described the current strong relationship between Uganda and Israel as a "remarkable journey."
The statue depicts Netanyahu striding forward, a machine gun in his hands, and is located outside the old airport terminal where the rescue operation took place.
During the operation, three hostages—Jean-Jacques Mimouni, Pasco Cohen, and Ida Borochovitch—also perished. Additionally, Dora Bloch was later killed in a hospital in Kampala, the capital, while receiving treatment.
"May their memories continue to inspire future generations in the pursuit of peace, justice and human dignity," the army chief remarked.
The hijackers, along with three accomplices who joined them in Uganda, were also killed, as were at least 45 Ugandan soldiers during clashes with the Israelis.
Acknowledging the deaths of the Ugandan soldiers, Kainerugaba stated that they had "fought valiantly... in what they believed was a justified cause. Of course, today, we know that the government of Idi Amin, which they served, was a brutal dictatorship which did not represent the Ugandan people."
The Paris-bound plane, which departed Tel Aviv on June 27, 1976, made a stop in Athens, where the hijackers, members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, boarded. They seized control and forced the plane to divert to Libya for refueling. The Airbus A300 then flew to Uganda, where Amin greeted its arrival.
The hijackers demanded $5 million and the release of 53 militants imprisoned in Israel, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Kenya in exchange for the hostages. Some hostages were released on June 30 and July 1, but Israelis and Jews remained captive.
On July 3, after flying from Israel via Kenya, elite commandos landed at Entebbe and launched the operation, which concluded in under 90 minutes.
While the rescue mission was celebrated in Israel, it was a profound humiliation for Amin.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Entebbe a decade ago, where he stated: "I learned from my brother that you need two things to defeat the terrorists: clarity and courage."
Kainerugaba referred to the events of half a century ago as "a painful chapter in our history," but added that Uganda-Israel relations have evolved into a "partnership characterised by mutual trust, respect and co-operation."