Uganda unveils statue of Israel PM's brother who died in Entebbe rescue mission
Uganda has unveiled a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu, the Israeli soldier killed during the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue mission. The monument was inaugurated by Uganda's army chief, who acknowledged the historical significance of the event and the improved diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Why it matters
The statue serves as a symbolic gesture of reconciliation and evolving diplomatic relations between Uganda and Israel, fifty years after a high-profile military raid.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Richard Kagoe GPO via Getty Images Uganda has unveiled a statue of Yonatan Netanyahu, the older brother of Israel's prime minister, who was killed during the Entebbe hostage rescue mission 50 years ago.
Uganda's army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba said the monument honoured his courage and selfless service.
Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed in the raid, which rescued more than 100 hostages, after two Palestinians and two Germans hijacked an Air France flight that had taken off from Tel Aviv and diverted it to Uganda's international airport.
Kainerugaba described the mission as "one of the most significant episodes in modern history" and spoke of the now close ties between the two countries as a "remarkable journey".
The statue of Netanyahu, striding forward with a machine gun in his hands, stands outside the old airport terminal where the rescue happened.
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