Uganda unveils statue of Israel PM’s brother who died in Entebbe rescue mission
Uganda has unveiled a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu, the elder brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was killed during the Entebbe hostage rescue mission 50 years ago.
Uganda’s army chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said the monument was erected in honour of Netanyahu’s courage and selfless service. Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed during the operation, which rescued more than 100 hostages after an Air France flight from Tel Aviv was hijacked by two Palestinians and two Germans and diverted to Uganda’s Entebbe Airport.
Kainerugaba described the rescue as “one of the most significant episodes in modern history” and said the event marked a remarkable journey in the relationship between Uganda and Israel. The statue, depicting Netanyahu carrying a machine gun, stands outside the old airport terminal where the rescue took place.
During the operation, three hostages—Jean-Jacques Mimouni, Pasco Cohen and Ida Borochovitch—were killed, while another hostage, Dora Bloch, was later murdered in a Kampala hospital where she had been receiving treatment.
“May their memories continue to inspire future generations in the pursuit of peace, justice and human dignity,” Kainerugaba said.
The hijackers and three accomplices who joined them in Uganda were also killed, along with at least 45 Ugandan soldiers during the gun battle with Israeli commandos.
The Ugandan army chief acknowledged the deaths of the soldiers, saying they fought bravely in what they believed was a just cause, but noted that they had served under the dictatorship of Idi Amin, which he said did not represent the Ugandan people.
The Air France flight, travelling from Tel Aviv to Paris on June 27, 1976, had stopped in Athens, where members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine boarded the aircraft before hijacking it. The plane was first diverted to Libya for refuelling before flying to Uganda, where Amin welcomed its arrival.
The hijackers demanded a $5 million ransom and the release of 53 militants imprisoned in Israel, France, Germany, Switzerland and Kenya. While some hostages were freed on June 30 and July 1, Israeli and Jewish passengers remained in captivity.
On July 3, Israeli commandos flew through Kenya to Entebbe and carried out a rescue mission that lasted less than 90 minutes, freeing the remaining hostages. The operation became one of Israel’s most celebrated military missions but dealt a major blow to Amin’s regime.
During a visit to Entebbe a decade ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had learned from his brother that defeating terrorism required “clarity and courage.”
Kainerugaba described the 1976 events as “a painful chapter” in Uganda’s history but said relations between Uganda and Israel had since developed into a partnership based on mutual trust, respect and cooperation.
Credit: BBC
