Entebbe Commandos Boycott 50th Anniversary Ceremony Over Netanyahu's Participation

Dozens of commandos who took part in the 1976 Entebbe rescue mission announced they will boycott the official 50th anniversary memorial ceremony due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned attendance. Amir Ofer, the first soldier to storm the Entebbe terminal and kill one of the terrorists, explained in a Friday interview on Kan News Radio that they refuse to be used as "decorations in a political campaign by someone who abandoned hostages and enabled draft dodgers for the sake of unchecked lust for power."

Ofer said the President's Residence did not respond to their boycott announcement, noting that while a press release was issued, no one contacted him personally. He highlighted his long-standing work commemorating Yoni Netanyahu alongside the Prime Minister but stressed that the current political use of Entebbe is different. "Yoni died 4,000 kilometers from Israel in a just mission, and honoring him in Israel's Pantheon of Valor is a duty. But Bibi has another goal besides honoring his memory: leveraging Entebbe for political gain," Ofer said, sharply criticizing Netanyahu by saying, "If not for Entebbe, Bibi would probably still be Benjamin Nitay in the United States."

Ofer recalled Yoni Netanyahu's final briefing before the raid, emphasizing the priority to rescue hostages over treating the wounded, a command Yoni paid for with his life. He said the decision to boycott was influenced heavily by the current government's handling of hostages, which he described as a "repeated collective punishment and a despicable act by heartless politicians." Ofer lamented the existential danger facing the country due to the abandonment of hostages, societal division, and the selling out of military service. He concluded that while they deeply respect Yoni Netanyahu, they will express that respect in other ways rather than participating in an event overshadowed by political exploitation.