Death of Lod Airport massacre terrorist ‘closes chapter’ in victim family’s painful story

The death of Kozo Okamoto, the last surviving perpetrator of the 1972 Lod Airport massacre, stirs deep emotions in Dámaris Pérez, whose mother was among the 26 killed. Okamoto never expressed remorse, living freely in Lebanon under PFLP protection until his death at 78. Pérez and her father, a survivor, reflect on forgiveness and closure.

The death of Kozo Okamoto, the last surviving perpetrator of the 1972 Lod Airport massacre, has stirred deep emotions in Dámaris Pérez, whose mother was among the 26 people killed in the attack. Okamoto, a member of the Japanese Red Army acting on behalf of the PFLP, died at age 78 in Lebanon, where he had lived under the protection of the terror group since 2000. He never expressed remorse for the attack, which killed eight Israelis, one Canadian, and 17 US citizens from Puerto Rico. Pérez, who was 15 months old at the time, said she was deeply shaken by the news, noting that Okamoto lived a full life while her mother died at 26. Her father, Pastor José Vega Franqui, who was wounded in the attack and survived because a New Testament in his pocket deflected a bullet, said the death closes a painful chapter but that they do not rejoice. The family's Christian faith led them to forgiveness, though Pérez said her journey took longer. She plans to publish an English version of her book about her experiences.