Entebbe raid at 50: How Israel protects its people

The journey from Libya to Uganda reflected the close relationship between Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Uganda’s President Idi Amin Dada. Both were fierce opponents of Israel.

Gaddafi was among the leading Arab leaders committed to opposing the existence of the Jewish state. Amin’s hostility stemmed partly from Israel’s refusal to supply him with arms after he seized power in the 1971 military coup. He subsequently aligned himself with Arab governments, pledged Ugandan support to their struggle against Israel and even staged military exercises simulating an assault to drive Israel from the Golan Heights, territory captured during the Six-Day War of 1967.

Although Amin publicly portrayed himself as a mediator between the terrorists and Israel, evidence later showed that his government actively co-operated with the hijackers.

The crisis took an even darker turn when the hijackers released most non-Jewish passengers while retaining Jewish and Israeli hostages. For many Israelis, the separation evoked painful historical memories and reinforced the urgency of mounting a rescue.

In one of the most daring special forces operations in modern history, Israeli commandos stormed Entebbe Airport during the night of July 3–4, killed the hijackers and rescued 103 hostages. Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu, commander of the assault force, was the only Israeli soldier killed during the mission.

Not all the hostages survived. Dora Bloch, a 75-year-old Israeli who had been admitted to Mulago Hospital before the raid, was later murdered on Idi Amin’s orders in retaliation.

The operation immediately entered military history. It demonstrated meticulous planning, intelligence gathering, surprise and political resolve. More importantly for Israel, it reinforced a national conviction that protecting its citizens is one of the state’s highest obligations, even when doing so requires extraordinary military risk.

That conviction remains visible today.

Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, Israel once again placed the recovery of its citizens at the centre of national policy. The hostages held in Gaza became both a military objective and a national cause, shaping political debate and influencing military operations.

However, Israel’s campaign in Gaza has attracted widespread international criticism because of the scale of destruction and civilian casualties. Humanitarian organisations, governments and international institutions have questioned whether Israel’s use of force has been proportionate. But Israeli leaders argue that defeating Hamas and recovering hostages are inseparable objectives rooted in the same doctrine that guided the Entebbe rescue, that the state bears an overriding responsibility to protect its people from terrorism.

Whether one agrees with Israel’s military strategy or not, the intellectual and political lineage is unmistakable. The determination displayed at Entebbe continues to shape Israeli decision-making almost five decades later. The operation also carries profound personal significance for Israel’s current leadership. Yonatan Netanyahu, who died leading the rescue, was the elder brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His death became a defining moment for the Netanyahu family and has profoundly influenced the prime minister’s thinking on national security and terrorism.

In July 2016, marking the raid’s 40th anniversary, Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Entebbe. During the visit, he and President Yoweri Museveni agreed that the old airport terminal should be preserved as a historical monument. Plans included retaining the bullet holes left during the assault as lasting reminders of one of the world’s most celebrated hostage rescue operations.

The memories remain alive not only in Israel, but also among those who survived.

Last month, former hostages Benny Davidson, Shy Gross and Tzipi Cohen — who were children during the ordeal — returned to Entebbe to revisit the place where their lives were transformed. Gilbert Weill, another former hostage, also returned with his family and met President Museveni. Their visit underscored that, while history often focuses on military strategy and political consequences, the Entebbe story is ultimately about ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

For Uganda, Entebbe remains an uncomfortable reminder of one of the darkest episodes of the Idi Amin era. For Israel, it is remembered as proof that courage, planning and national resolve can overcome overwhelming odds.

Fifty years on, the Entebbe raid is no longer simply a remarkable military operation. It has become a defining symbol of Israel’s determination to defend its citizens, a doctrine that continues to shape its policies in an increasingly volatile Middle East.

The circumstances have changed. The region has changed. Debates over the use of force have grown more intense. Yet the principle forged on the runway at Entebbe in July 1976 endures: For Israel, the security of its people remains a national imperative, one from which its successive governments have rarely deviated.

X- @dmukholi1 dmukholi@gmail.com