Statue of Yoni Netanyahu unveiled at Uganda’s Entebbe Airport, 50 years after raid

A statue of Yonatan Netanyahu, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s brother, has been unveiled at the old Entebbe Airport terminal where he was killed leading an elite IDF force in the rescue of hostages in 1976.

“It is a great honor and privilege to join you at this historic site as we unveil this monument to Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan ‘Yoni’ Netanyahu, the courageous commander of the Israeli rescue force whose leadership and ultimate sacrifice during the Entebbe raid of July 4, 1976 has become an enduring symbol of courage, duty and selfless service,” says Uganda’s military chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba at the ceremony, according to The Kampala Post. 

Kainerugaba also names those killed throughout the hostage taking, including Jean-Jacques Maimoni, Pasco Cohen, Ida Borochovitch, and Dora Bloch.

“As we gather here, we also respectfully remember the innocent hostages who lost their lives during those tragic events,” he says. “Their memory remains an important part of this solemn history.”

“The friendship between Uganda and Israel extends well beyond the events of 1976. Our two countries have enjoyed good relations for a long time now, founded on mutual respect and practical cooperation,” he adds.

The hijacking began when an Air France flight from Tel Aviv to Paris, carrying 246 passengers, was seized after a stop in Athens by terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Germany’s Revolutionary Cells. The plane was diverted to Uganda, where the despotic, notoriously unhinged dictator Idi Amin gave the hijackers safe haven. They separated Israeli and Jewish passengers from most of the others, who were released over two days.

On July 4, Israeli commandos flew thousands of miles to Entebbe and rescued more than 100 hostages in an audacious raid that became one of Israel’s defining military operations.

UPDATE – Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has unveiled a memorial to Lt. Col. Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu at the Old Entebbe Airport terminal, where he was killed during the 1976 hostage rescue operation. The CDF said the monument also reflects the growing ties between Uganda and Israel. pic.twitter.com/FZM5FwpvMf

— UBC UGANDA (@ubctvuganda) August 1, 2026

JTA contributed to this report.