Uganda has unveiled a monument honouring Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, the Israeli military commander who was killed while leading the country’s famous hostage rescue operation at Entebbe International Airport in 1976.
The monument, located outside the airport, commemorates Netanyahu’s role in the daring operation that resulted in the rescue of more than 100 hostages held by Palestinian and German hijackers.
Yonatan Netanyahu was the older brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was the only Israeli soldier killed during the operation, which has since become one of the most celebrated military missions in Israel’s history.
The memorial was commissioned by Uganda’s military chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who described the monument as a tribute to Netanyahu’s courage and his commitment to protecting innocent lives.
The Entebbe raid took place in July 1976 after an Air France passenger aircraft was hijacked and diverted to Uganda. The hijackers held their hostages at Entebbe Airport, where they were reportedly supported by forces loyal to then-Ugandan President Idi Amin.
Israeli commandos launched a long-range military operation to rescue the hostages. The mission involved Israeli forces travelling thousands of kilometres to Uganda and carrying out a surprise assault on the terminal where the hostages were being held.
The operation succeeded in freeing more than 100 hostages, although the mission resulted in casualties. Netanyahu was killed during the raid, while dozens of Ugandan soldiers loyal to Amin were also reportedly killed.
The operation became internationally known as the Entebbe raid and was widely praised in Israel as an extraordinary example of military planning, courage and precision. The mission has since been commemorated through books, films and military studies.
However, the legacy of the operation remains controversial in Uganda and parts of Africa. At the time, several African leaders criticised the Israeli military action, viewing it as a violation of Uganda’s sovereignty. The role of Idi Amin’s government in the hostage crisis also became a subject of international condemnation.
The unveiling of the monument represents a notable development in the relationship between Uganda and Israel, which has continued to maintain diplomatic and economic ties despite the complex history surrounding the Entebbe operation.
For Uganda, the memorial also provides an opportunity to revisit one of the most significant international events in the country’s modern history. The airport remains closely associated with the dramatic hostage crisis and the Israeli military response.
Kainerugaba said the memorial was intended to recognise Netanyahu’s bravery and dedication to saving innocent people. The tribute also reflects the continuing significance of the Entebbe operation more than five decades after it took place.
The monument is expected to attract attention from both Ugandan and Israeli visitors and serve as a reminder of the historical events that unfolded at the airport.
The decision to honour Netanyahu in Uganda is particularly notable given that the country was once at the centre of the controversial hostage crisis. The memorial could therefore be seen as a symbol of the changing relationship between Uganda and Israel and the two countries’ efforts to maintain cordial relations despite the difficult history surrounding the 1976 raid.
More than 50 years after the operation, the Entebbe raid remains one of the most widely remembered hostage rescue missions in modern history, while the monument now provides a permanent tribute to the Israeli commander who lost his life leading it.
