Veterans of Entebbe Raid, Including Severely Wounded Fighter, Boycott 50th Anniversary Ceremony Over Netanyahu
Thirty-six veterans of the 1976 Entebbe raid, including Sorin Hershko who was severely wounded, announced they will boycott the 50th anniversary ceremony scheduled for Sunday at the President's Residence. The event commemorates Operation Jonathan, the daring Israeli rescue mission that freed hostages from Uganda. Among those boycotting is also Dr. Beni Davidson, one of the hostages rescued during the operation. The veterans sent a letter to the President's Residence stating they will not attend, criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for glorifying the Entebbe rescue while allegedly abandoning hostages held by Hamas and enabling draft evasion in the IDF. They emphasized they refuse to be used as a backdrop for political purposes.
Sorin Hershko, a paratrooper in the 890th Battalion, volunteered for the mission during his discharge leave and was the most severely injured soldier in the operation, left paralyzed from the neck down after being shot in the face and spine during the assault on the new terminal at Entebbe Airport. Dr. Beni Davidson, who was kidnapped with his family and freed in the raid, also declined participation, calling the event a cover for "moral and leadership collapse."
The ceremony, organized by the IDF Education Corps, will be attended by President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, former hostages and their families, bereaved families, and other guests. Operation Jonathan began on July 4, 1976, after an Air France plane with 248 passengers was hijacked and flown to Uganda under Idi Amin’s regime. The terrorists, from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and a German extremist group, held the hostages for days. After failed diplomatic efforts, Israel launched a bold rescue mission involving hundreds of soldiers flying thousands of kilometers to Uganda. The IDF, led by Sayeret Matkal commandos, stormed the terminal, killed all seven hijackers, and rescued most hostages. Three hostages died during the raid, and one was later murdered by Amin’s forces. The only Israeli fatality was Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu, the raid’s commander and brother of Benjamin Netanyahu. His death became a symbol of the operation and deeply influenced Benjamin Netanyahu’s military and political career, with the prime minister frequently citing Yonatan as an inspiration and symbol of leadership and dedication to Israel.
