Uganda’s military has unveiled a monument to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s older brother, who was killed during a hostage rescue operation in the East African country in 1976.
Issued on: 04/08/2026 - 17:29
3 min Reading time
The statue of Yonatan Netanyahu holding an assault rifle was unveiled on Saturday by Ugandan military chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who said he commissioned the monument to pay tribute to the soldier’s courage. Kainerugaba is also the eldest child of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and widely seen as a possible successor since Museveni's reelection in January. Uganda's Museveni sworn in for seventh term as succession question looms Among those attending the ceremony were members of an Israeli delegation, including Barak Orland, a businessman based in Uganda. The statue has been installed outside the airport terminal in the town of Entebbe where Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu was shot dead as he led Israeli commandos in a mission to rescue 106 passengers who had been taken hostage on an Air France flight. He was the only Israeli commando killed in the mission. “Today, this memorial stands not only in remembrance of a distinguished soldier, but also as a tribute to the enduring values he embodied: courage in the face of danger, unwavering commitment to protecting innocent lives, and steadfast devotion to duty,” Kainerugaba said at the ceremony. Kainerugaba also 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".
