Uganda Unveils Statue Honouring Netanyahu’s Brother, Hero Of 1976 Entebbe Raid

Uganda has unveiled a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu, the elder brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marking 50 years since he died leading the Entebbe hostage rescue mission, the only Israeli soldier killed in the operation that freed more than 100 hostages.

Uganda’s army chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said the monument recognizes Netanyahu’s bravery and dedication, calling the rescue one of history’s most significant military operations and pointing to the strong Uganda-Israel relationship that has since developed. The statue, depicting Netanyahu advancing with a weapon in hand, now stands at the old airport terminal where the raid unfolded.

The crisis began on June 27, 1976, when Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine hijackers boarded the Tel Aviv-to-Paris flight during a stopover in Athens, eventually diverting it through Libya to Entebbe, Uganda, where dictator Idi Amin personally welcomed the plane. The hijackers demanded $5m and the release of 53 jailed militants across several countries, gradually releasing non-Israeli, non-Jewish hostages while holding the rest. On July 3, Israeli commandos flew in via Kenya and carried out the rescue in under 90 minutes.

Beyond Netanyahu, three hostages — Jean-Jacques Mimouni, Pasco Cohen and Ida Borochovitch — died during the raid, and a fourth, Dora Bloch, was killed afterward in a Kampala hospital. The hijackers and their Ugandan-based accomplices were killed, along with at least 45 Ugandan soldiers who fought against the Israeli forces.

Kainerugaba honored the fallen on all sides, saying their memories should inspire future generations toward peace and justice, while acknowledging the Ugandan soldiers had fought for what they believed was right under a regime — Amin’s — now recognized as a brutal dictatorship that didn’t reflect the will of the Ugandan people. He described the events as a painful chapter in Uganda’s history, but one that has since given way to a relationship built on trust and cooperation between the two nations.

Benjamin Netanyahu visited the site a decade ago, reflecting that his brother taught him that defeating terrorism requires clarity and courage.