Secret Cabinet Records Reveal Israel’s Second-By-Second Antaba Decision Process

Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Entebbe rescue, Israel’s State Archives on Friday released thousands of pages of minutes, transcripts and documents that reconstruct almost hour by hour how the operation was approved. The files show unusually broad consultation inside the Israeli leadership during the week of the hijacking, including 18 meetings of the small crisis team Rabin created, as well as cabinet sessions, meetings of the security cabinet, Knesset foreign affairs and defense committee hearings, and ongoing security consultations. Rabin also kept opposition leaders informed and met newspaper editors, asking them to act responsibly and avoid publishing anything that could endanger the hostages or the rescue effort.