The dictator in the terminal: Idi Amin and the Entebbe hostage crisis, 50 years on

Fifty years ago, on June 27, 1976, the hijacking of an Air France plane carrying over 250 passengers, including 83 Israelis, began its complex journey. The aircraft, seized by two Palestinians from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – External Operations and two Germans from the Revolutionary Cells, made an initial stop in Benghazi, Libya, before landing in Entebbe, Uganda.

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an Air France plane had been hijacked.

In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was briefed that France, as the owner of the Air France jet, was expected to lead efforts for the passengers' release. France reportedly accepted this responsibility. Initially, Rabin felt some relief that the plane had landed in Uganda, a country with which Israeli officers had previously trained forces and where President Idi Amin had once maintained warm relations with Israel. This early hope, however, would soon dissolve.

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because the aircraft belonged to Air France, Paris was expected to act “by all required means” to ensure the safety and release of the passengers, particularly the Israelis.

Amin, who had seized power in 1971 and was in his "president for life" phase, would ultimately side with the terrorists, distancing himself from Israel. The article traces Amin's rise from his service in the British colonial army to his coup d'état, highlighting his dictatorial rule by the time of the Entebbe landing. The narrative focuses on the critical first hours of the crisis, establishing the key players, the initial diplomatic exchanges, and the dawning realization that Amin's support would complicate any potential resolution.

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France said it accepted responsibility for the passengers and their release.