Uganda unveils statue of Israeli PM's brother killed in Entebbe rescue

Uganda has unveiled a statue honoring Yonatan Netanyahu, the older brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was killed in the Entebbe hostage rescue mission 50 years ago. The monument stands outside the old airport terminal where the dramatic operation took place.

Uganda's army chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said the statue was a tribute to Netanyahu's bravery and selfless service. He described the mission as one of the most significant events in modern history and noted that the countries' relations have since grown into a close partnership.

The raid came after an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris was hijacked on 27 June 1976. Two Palestinians and two Germans from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine boarded the plane during a stop in Athens. They forced the aircraft to divert to Libya for refueling, then on to Uganda, where it was welcomed by President Idi Amin.

The hijackers demanded a $5 million ransom and the release of 53 militants held in Israel, France, Germany, Switzerland and Kenya. Some hostages were freed on 30 June and 1 July, but Israeli and Jewish passengers were kept. On 3 July, elite commandos flying from Israel via Kenya landed at Entebbe and completed the operation in under 90 minutes.

Yonatan Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed in the raid. Three hostages also lost their lives: Jean-Jacques Mimouni, Pasco Cohen and Ida Borochovitch. Dora Bloch was later murdered at a hospital in Kampala. The hijackers and three accomplices, as well as at least 45 Ugandan soldiers, died in the fighting.

Kainerugaba acknowledged the Ugandan soldiers' deaths, saying they had fought bravely in what they believed was a just cause, though he added that Idi Amin's regime was a brutal dictatorship that did not represent the Ugandan people.

The rescue was celebrated in Israel but was a deep humiliation for Amin. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Entebbe a decade ago, remarking that he had learned from his brother that defeating terrorists requires clarity and courage. Kainerugaba called the episode a painful chapter in Uganda's history but stressed that relations with Israel have developed into a partnership defined by mutual trust, respect and cooperation.