Kainerugaba, head of Uganda’s defense forces, described the planned statue as a symbol of the relationship between Uganda and Israel.
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
Uganda plans to erect a statue at Entebbe International Airport honoring Lt.-Col. Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu, who was killed during the 1976 hostage rescue operation at the site, the country’s Chief of Defense Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced Thursday, according to Arutz Sheva, Israel National News.
Kainerugaba said the monument will be installed at the exact location where Netanyahu was killed during the operation.
He did not specify when construction would begin or when the statue would be unveiled, and no formal announcement from the Ugandan government was immediately available.
In his social media post, Kainerugaba described the planned statue as a symbol of the relationship between Uganda and Israel. Kainerugaba is the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
Netanyahu, the older brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was the only Israeli soldier killed during the 1976 operation, widely known as Operation Entebbe. T
he mission freed Jewish hostages who were being held at Entebbe Airport after the hijacking of an Air France flight earlier that year.
The operation is regarded as a major moment in Israel’s national history, and Netanyahu’s role in leading the mission has been commemorated over the decades.
Israeli officials have marked anniversaries of the operation in Uganda, including a visit by Prime Minister Netanyahu to Entebbe Airport in 2016 for a memorial ceremony, during which he delivered public remarks.
Prime Minister Netanyahu also traveled to Uganda in 2020, when he met with President Museveni.
During that visit, Netanyahu said Uganda was considering opening an embassy in Jerusalem, according to Israel National News.
The announcement of the planned statue follows years of public recognition by Israeli officials of Netanyahu’s role in the operation and reflects ongoing diplomatic engagement between Israel and Uganda.