Uganda unveils Yoni Netanyahu memorial at Entebbe Airport 50 years after rescue operation

Uganda's military chief unveiled a memorial for Lt.-Col. Yonatan 'Yoni' Netanyahu at the old terminal of Entebbe Airport, 50 years after he was killed during the 1976 rescue operation. The ceremony, overseen by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, highlighted the enduring friendship and security partnership between Uganda and Israel, and commemorated the hostages and soldiers who died.

On Saturday, Uganda's military chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba unveiled a memorial honoring Lt.-Col. Yonatan 'Yoni' Netanyahu at the old terminal of Entebbe Airport, exactly 50 years after Netanyahu was killed during the historic rescue operation. Kainerugaba, a powerful figure and son of President Yoweri Museveni, presented the memorial as a testament to the enduring friendship, security partnership, and mutual trust between Uganda and Israel. He had previously announced plans for the memorial at the site where Netanyahu was killed. In his remarks, Kainerugaba praised Netanyahu's courage and leadership, and noted that the government of Idi Amin, which aided the terrorists, was a brutal dictatorship that did not represent the Ugandan people, while present-day Uganda is a constitutional democracy. He also commemorated the hostages killed in connection with the operation: Jean-Jacques Maimoni, 19, of Netanya; Dr. Pasco Cohen, 52, of Haifa; Ida Borochovitch, 56, of Tel Aviv; and Dora Bloch, 74, who was murdered after the raid. He additionally honored the Ugandan soldiers killed that day. The ceremony was also attended by Israeli national Barak Orland, who lives in Uganda and is regarded as an informal representative of Israel. Orland described the memorial as a testament to two nations standing shoulder to shoulder for future generations.