July 3, 1976: 50 years ago in Entebbe, Israel proved no distance is too great

Fifty years ago, on July 3, 1976, Israel executed Operation Jonathan, a bold military rescue that redefined the nation's stance against terrorism. An Air France flight bound for Paris was hijacked by Palestinian and German militants, who diverted it to Entebbe, Uganda, under the protection of dictator Idi Amin Dada.

The hijackers segregated hostages, holding Israelis and Jews captive while releasing others. They demanded the release of dozens of imprisoned terrorists in exchange for the hostages' lives. Israel faced a stark choice: capitulate to terrorism and risk future attacks, or reject the ultimatum and undertake a perilous military operation.

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There are victories that do not end on the battlefield. Instead, they change the way a nation’s enemies, both near and far, perceive it.

Israel chose the latter, leveraging fighting spirit, creativity, and intelligence gathering. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's government approved the audacious plan. Four Hercules aircraft, carrying 200 soldiers, secretly flew over 4,000 kilometers to Entebbe Airport. Landing in the heart of a hostile country, IDF forces engaged terrorists and Ugandan soldiers in a swift operation.

Within an hour, the mission concluded with 102 hostages rescued and on their way home. Tragically, Lt.-Col. Yoni Netanyahu, commander of the Sayeret Matkal special forces, and three hostages were killed. Netanyahu became a symbol of Israeli leadership, courage, and devotion. Renamed "Operation Jonathan," the mission electrified the world, marking a significant achievement for the Israel Defense Forces and serving as a strategic declaration that Jewish lives were not cheap and that terrorism would not go unanswered.

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Israel made it clear to the world that Jewish blood is not cheap. That no act of terrorism, however daring, grants immunity, and that even when the enemy is convinced it has won, the battle may, in fact, have o