Uganda unveils statue of Israel PM's brother who died in Entebbe rescue mission

According to the BBC, authorities in Uganda have unveiled a statue dedicated to Yonatan Netanyahu, the Israeli military officer who was killed during the 1976 Entebbe rescue mission. The memorial honors the commander of the Sayeret Matkal unit, who was the only Israeli soldier to lose his life during the operation to rescue more than 100 hostages held at the Entebbe airport.

The Entebbe raid, also known as Operation Thunderbolt, remains a significant historical event in the history of both nations. The mission involved a daring long-range counter-terrorism operation conducted by Israeli commandos to free passengers of an Air France flight that had been hijacked and diverted to Uganda by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the German Revolutionary Cells.

The unveiling of the statue serves as a formal acknowledgment of the historical ties and the complex legacy of the rescue mission in Uganda. While the operation was a major point of tension between Israel and the Ugandan government under Idi Amin at the time, the current commemoration reflects a shift in diplomatic relations and a focus on historical remembrance.

Yonatan Netanyahu, the older brother of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is widely regarded in Israel as a national hero for his role in leading the assault team. The statue is expected to stand as a permanent marker at the site of the rescue, drawing attention to the events of 1976 and the ongoing efforts to maintain historical records of the incident.