Uganda Unveils Monument to Yonatan Netanyahu at Entebbe Airport

The Uganda People’s Defence Force unveiled a bronze statue of Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu on Saturday at the old terminal of Entebbe International Airport. The monument, which depicts the soldier in motion holding an assault rifle, commemorates the brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was the only Israeli commando killed during the 1976 rescue of 106 hostages.

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Force and son of President Yoweri Museveni, commissioned the memorial to honor the soldier's courage and signal the cordial relations and mutual respect between Uganda and Israel. The statue was created by Israeli artist Itay Zalait over a six-month period.

The ceremony coincided with the 50th anniversary of the rescue operation, now referred to as Operation Yonatan. An Israeli delegation led by businessman Barak Orland attended the event to mark the anniversary and the installation of the monument.