Uganda’s military has unveiled a monument honoring Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, the Israeli commander killed during the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue mission. Netanyahu was the older brother of the current Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The statue, commissioned by Uganda’s military chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, stands outside Entebbe International Airport, where Netanyahu led Israeli commandos in a daring operation that rescued more than 100 hostages held by Palestinian and German hijackers. Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed during the raid, which also resulted in the deaths of dozens of Ugandan troops loyal to then-dictator Idi Amin. Kainerugaba described the memorial as a tribute to Netanyahu’s courage and commitment to protecting innocent lives. The operation remains one of Israel’s most celebrated military achievements, while Uganda and Israel continue to maintain cordial relations despite the raid’s controversial legacy and its criticism by African leaders at the time.
AP