The International Human Rights Observatory and B’nai B’rith Portugal on Monday honored the memory of Yonatan (“Yoni”) Netanyahu, the Israeli military officer killed leading the hostage rescue at Entebbe Airport in Uganda in July 1976.
Yoni Netanyahu was the older brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A commemorative certificate was presented to the Netanyahu family, acknowledging the elder Netanyahu’s role in changing the world’s response to terrorism and defending the dignity of Jewish families everywhere.
“Operation Thunderbolt,” also known as “Operation Yonatan,” involved the rescue of more than 100 hostages after an Air France plane was hijacked by pro-Palestinian terrorists who forced the pilots to land in Uganda.
“Today, we recognize Yonatan Netanyahu not only as a military hero, but as a moral landmark in the struggle for a more just and equitable world,” said Luís Andrade, the president of the International Human Rights Observatory. “For the first time in two thousand years, terrorists who sought to exploit and terrorize Jewish families learned that such crimes would not go unpunished.”
The event brought together community leaders, diplomats and civil society representatives. Among those delivering remarks was Israel’s Ambassador to Portugal Oren Rozenblat, who offered both a national and deeply personal reflection on Netanyahu’s legacy.
“‘Operation Thunderbolt’ was not just a military operation. It was a message to Jews everywhere, and to the world,” said Rozenblat. “The Jewish people are not alone. The State of Israel will always be there to protect Jews—in Jerusalem, in Tel Aviv or 4,000 kilometers away in Entebbe. It was a message of defiance against terror, of strength rooted in moral obligation, and of Jewish resilience.”
The ceremony also featured reflections from Dan Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith International, who spoke from Washington.
“Our jubilation that day, 49 years ago, was tempered by the news that Yoni Netanyahu, the leader of the elite IDF commando unit on the ground, had been killed in the operation,” said Mariaschin. “For most people in 1976, the name Netanyahu was not well known. All we knew was that this young officer sacrificed his life to save his fellow Jews.
“‘Acharai!’ (‘Follow Me!’)—the IDF’s enduring motto—so aptly characterized Yoni’s bravery,” he continued. “For us, though, Yoni’s bravery renewed our pride in ourselves, as Jews, and as important, reinforced our love and admiration for the State of Israel, the IDF, and for the Zionist idea.”
The ceremony was attended by people from Israel, the United States, Belgium, Spain and Portugal, including Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman and the founder of the European Jewish Association.
“Yoni Netanyahu was a symbol and an example of a leader who sacrificed himself for the sake of the people of Israel,” said Rabbi Margolin. “The decision to honor his memory expresses the ideal that is required today from every Jew in Europe: to be courageous and willing to make all necessary sacrifices and efforts in order to ensure the continued existence and prosperity of the Jewish community in Europe.”
