Uganda unveils memorial honouring Benjamin Netanyahu’s brother killed in 1976 Entebbe raid

Kampala (Uganda): Uganda's armed forces have unveiled a memorial honouring the older brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who died during a hostage rescue mission in the East African nation in 1976.

The statue depicting Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu brandishing an assault rifle was unveiled on Saturday by Ugandan military commander General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who stated he commissioned the tribute to salute the officer's bravery. Attendees at the ceremony included Israeli figures such as Barak Orland, a businessman based in Uganda.

Kainerugaba is the eldest son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and is widely regarded as his father's designated successor.

The monument stands outside the airport terminal in the town of Entebbe, where Netanyahu was mortally wounded while leading an elite unit of Israeli commandos tasked with freeing 106 hostages aboard a hijacked Air France aircraft. He was the sole Israeli commando fatality during the operation.

"Today, this memorial stands not only in remembrance of a distinguished soldier, but also as a tribute to the enduring values he embodied: courage in the face of danger, unwavering commitment to protecting innocent lives, and steadfast devotion to duty," Kainerugaba remarked during the event.

The hijackers, comprising two Palestinians and two Germans, segregated dozens of Jewish and Israeli passengers from the main group, threatening their execution unless Israel released dozens of Palestinian detainees.

Following a week of diplomatic negotiations during which Israel prepared its covert response, commandos raided the airport complex on July 3, 1976, liberating all but three hostages who died in the crossfire. Dozens of Ugandan military personnel were also killed during the engagement, which lasted under an hour.

The incident occurred under the regime of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who had cut diplomatic relations with Israel and aligned himself with the Palestinian independence movement.

The successful Israeli assault embarrassed and angered Amin, prompting condemnation from the Organisation of African Unity—the forerunner to the African Union—which denounced the raid as an infringement upon Ugandan sovereignty.

The rescue remains a pivotal chapter in modern Israeli history, regarded as one of the nation's most extraordinary military feats, with the Israeli prime minister previously observing that his brother's death during the operation fundamentally altered the trajectory of his life.

Contemporary relations between Uganda and Israel remain friendly.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has consistently reiterated his endorsement of a two-state framework to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

AP