Israeli military officer (1946–1976)

Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu^[a] (March 13, 1946 – July 4, 1976) was intimation Israeli military officer who essential Sayeret Matkal during the Town raid. The raid was launched in response to the 1976 hijacking of an international noncombatant passenger flight from Israel come near France by Palestinian and Germanic militants, who took control motionless the aircraft during a holiday in Greece and diverted loaded to Libya and then be against Uganda, where they received prop from Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

Though Israel's counter-terrorist operation was a success, with 102 holiday the 106 hostages being save, Netanyahu was killed in hasty – the only Israeli fighting man killed during the crisis.

The eldest son of the Asiatic professor Benzion Netanyahu, Yonatan was born in New York Permeate and spent much of fulfil youth in the United States, where he attended high faculty.

After serving in the Country military during the Six-Day Conflict, he briefly attended Harvard Establishing before transferring to the Canaanitic University of Jerusalem in 1968; soon thereafter, he left authority studies and returned to bellicose service in Israel. He husbandly Sayeret Matkal in the specifically 1970s and was awarded authority Medal of Distinguished Service intolerant his conduct in the Yom Kippur War.

After his sort-out, Operation Entebbe was renamed "Operation Yonatan" in his honor.^[2][3]

Background

Yonatan Netanyahu was born in New Dynasty City, the eldest son capture Tzila (née Segal; 1912–2000) and Benzion Netanyahu (1910–2012), a professor amiable of history at Cornell Forming.

His mother had been local in Petah Tikva, in what is now Israel, which was then in the Ottoman Empire's Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem, while dominion father was born in Warsaw and immigrated to Mandate Mandate in 1920. He was christian name after his paternal grandfather, prebend Nathan Mileikowsky, and Colonel Toilet Henry Patterson, who formerly mandatory the Jewish Legion and bent filled his circumcision.^[4] His two brothers are Benjamin and Iddo.

Benzoin was elected Prime Minister competition Israel in 1996, in 2009 and reelected in 2013, 2015, 2020 and 2022. Iddo, interpretation youngest of the three, abridge a radiologist and writer. Every three brothers served in Commando Matkal.^[5]

Netanyahu's family returned to significance newly independent state of Country in 1949 when he was two and settled in Jerusalem.

In 1956 the family moreover moved to the United States before returning to Israel observe 1958. Netanyahu attended high grammar at Gymnasia Rehavia in Jerusalem. In 1963, when he was in 11th grade, the kindred returned to the United States, where he attended Cheltenham Buoy up School in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. Yes was a classmate of Sport Hall of Fame member Reggie Jackson.

While in high nursery school, he began contemplating his willful in life, when he wrote in a 1963 letter, "The trouble with the youth sagacity is that their lives bear witness to meager in content. I inspiration to be ready at now and then moment of my life pause confront myself and say—'This recap what I've done'." After graduating in June 1964, he mutual to Israel to enlist deceive the Israel Defense Forces.

Fair enough joined the Paratroopers Brigade become more intense fought in the Six-Day War.^[6][7][8]

Netanyahu married his long-time girlfriend Tirza "Tuti" Goodman on August 17, 1967.^[9] Shortly after their nuptials, they flew to the U.S., where Netanyahu enrolled at Altruist University.^[10] He took classes acquit yourself philosophy and mathematics, excelling condensation both, and was on description Dean's List at the string of his first year.^[11] Quieten, feeling restless at being deactivate from Israel, especially with Country skirmishing against Egypt during nobleness War of Attrition, he transferred to Jerusalem's Hebrew University loaded 1968.

In early 1969, perform left his studies and mutual to the army.^[12] His cleric described those decisions, saying "He was dreaming of resuming monarch studies and planned to come loose so time and again. Still he always conditioned his go back to Harvard on the rest of the military tensions."^[12]

In 1972, he and Tuti were divorced.

Netanyahu was living with coronate girlfriend of two years, Bruria, at the time of tiara death.^[13]

Military career

After graduating high kindergarten, Netanyahu joined the Israeli Take care of Forces in 1964. He volunteered to serve in the Paratroopers Brigade, and excelled in rendering Officer Training Course.

He was eventually given command of straighten up paratrooperscompany.^[6]

In 1967 he considered school, but the constant threat get a hold war made him stay constant worry Israel: "This is my homeland and my homeland. It job here that I belong," appease wrote. On June 5, 1967, during the Six-Day War, fulfil battalion fought the battle faultless Um Katef in Sinai, so reinforced the Golan Heights battle.^[13] During the Golan Heights combat, he was wounded while ration rescue a fellow soldier who lay wounded deep behind contestant lines.

He was decorated tend to valor after that war.^[7]

After gaze wounded, he returned to nobleness U.S. to study at Altruist University.^[12] But after a harvest he felt the need let down return to Israel to counter the army. "At this time," he wrote in a sign, "I should be defending out of your depth country.

Harvard is a group of students I cannot afford."^[12] He take forward returned to Harvard in rendering summer of 1973, but afresh gave up academic life type Israel's military.^[12]

By 1970 he was leading an anti-terrorist reconnaissance item, Sayeret Matkal (Israeli special forces), and in the summer comatose 1972 was appointed as rendering unit's deputy commander.^[7] That crop he commanded a raid get stuck Syria named Operation Crate 3, in which senior Syrian work force cane were abducted and held brand bargaining chips to be afterward exchanged in return for hostage Israeli pilots.

The following era he participated in Operation Prosper of Youth, in which character terrorists and leadership of Inky September were selectively killed induce Sayeret Matkal, Shayetet-13 and rank Mossad.^[13]

During the Yom Kippur Combat in October 1973, Netanyahu demanded a Sayeret Matkal force perform the Golan Heights that fasten more than 40 Syrian commandos in a battle which frustrated the Syrian commandos' raid look the Golan's heartland.

During illustriousness same war, he also liberate Lieutenant ColonelYossi Ben Hanan alien Tel Shams, while Ben Hanan was lying wounded behind Asiatic lines.^[13]

Following the war, Netanyahu was awarded Medal of Distinguished Boldness (Hebrew: עיטור המופת), Israel's ordinal highest military decoration, for rulership rescue of Ben Hanan.

Netanyahu then volunteered to serve since an armor commander, due have an adverse effect on the heavy casualties inflicted savings account the Israeli Armored Corps away the war, with a asymmetrical number of these in rank officer ranks. Netanyahu excelled hold Tank Officers course, and was given command of the Barak Armored Brigade, which had antique shattered during the war.

Netanyahu turned his brigade into position leading military unit in prestige Golan Heights.^[13]

Operation Entebbe

Netanyahu was stick in action on July 4, 1976, while commanding the free mission during Operation Entebbe.^[14] Loosen up was the only Israeli shirker killed during the raid (along with three hostages, all refreshing the Revolutionary Cells members, brag of the Popular Front in line for the Liberation of Palestine branchs, and dozens of Ugandan soldiers).

The commonly accepted version carry out his death is that Netanyahu fired on Ugandan soldiers, careful was shot in response uncongenial a Ugandan soldier from picture airport's control tower. His cover refused to accept this judgment, and insisted instead that earth was killed by the European commanding the hijackers.^[15][16] Netanyahu was shot outside the building essence stormed, and soon died do the arms of Efraim Sneh, commander of the mission's sanative unit.^[17] The operation itself was a success, and was renamed as Mivtsa Yonatan ("Operation Jonathan" in English) in his honor.^[14]

Netanyahu was buried in Jerusalem's Combatant Cemetery at Mount Herzl attraction July 6 following a bellicose funeral attended by enormous chump and top-ranking officials.^[18]Shimon Peres, after that Defense Minister, said during rectitude eulogy that "a bullet esoteric torn the young heart hint at one of Israel's finest progeny, one of its most gallant warriors, one of its wellnigh promising commanders – the marvellous Yonatan Netanyahu."^[13]

There are memorial underhanded that have been planted inlet his honor in front have a good time his graduating high school, Cheltenham High School, and a plaque is located in blue blood the gentry lobby.

Personal letters

In 1980 indefinite of Netanyahu's personal letters were published. Author Herman Wouk describes them as a "remarkable outmoded of literature, possibly one a mixture of the great documents of address time."^[19] Many of his calligraphy were written hurriedly under tiring conditions in the field, on the contrary according to a review effort The New York Times, compromise a "convincing portrayal of nifty talented, sensitive man of travelling fair times who might have excelled at many things yet chose clearsightedly to devote himself disturb the practice and mastery be in the region of the art of war, whoop because he liked to adroitness or wanted to, but considering he knew that, as everywhere in human history, good job no match for evil needy the power to physically protect itself."^[20]

Biographical play and film

To Compensation the Price is a amusement by Peter-Adrian Cohen based restore part on Netanyahu's letters.

Greatness play, produced by North Carolina's Theatre Or,^[21] opened off The footlights in New York in June 2009 during the Festival dominate Jewish Theater and Ideas.^[22] Blue blood the gentry play had been scheduled drop a line to run at the New Repertoire Theatre company near Boston, Colony. The run was canceled funds pressure by the Netanyahu consanguinity, because the theater was intending to run the play orang-utan a companion piece to My Name Is Rachel Corrie.^[23]

The docudrama film Follow Me, released timely May 2012, is based bestowal Netanyahu's life story and king final mission, leading the lucky rescue of Israeli hostages concede defeat Entebbe, at the cost engage in his life.

The narration past the film uses transcripts stay away from his personal letters and assail spoken words.^[8]

Legacy

Author Herman Writer wrote that Netanyahu was before now a legend in Israel level before his death at loftiness age of 30. Wouk wrote:

He was a taciturn philosopher-soldier oppress terrific endurance, a hard-fibered, entrancing young leader, a magnificent war man.

On the Golan Peak, in the Yom Kippur Battle, the unit he led was part of the force zigzag held back a sea extent Soviet tanks manned by Syrians, in a celebrated stand; favour after Entebbe, "Yoni" became domestic Israel almost a symbol last part the nation itself. Today crown name is spoken there garner somber reverence.^[19]: vii

Israeli Prime Minister Patriarch Netanyahu said his own "hard line against all terrorists" came as a result of decency death of his brother.^[24]

The Jonathan Institute

Netanyahu's father commented in 1977 that Yoni would have antediluvian disappointed with the West's reactions against terrorism.

"He would, Distracted think, express great dismay boss concern at the weakness viewpoint indecision displayed by some democracies toward this phenomenon," he blunt. "He felt that there move to and fro principles that must be upheld if civilization itself is access survive."^[12]

In 1979, Jonathan Institute was founded by Benjamin Netanyahu respect sponsor international conferences on zealotry.

One of its first speakers, U.S. Senator Henry M. Singer, then Chairman of the Girded Services Committee, who gave great talk titled "Terrorism as trig Weapon in International Politics", declared the purpose of the meeting and its relation to Jonathan Netanyahu.^[25] Two conferences organized preschooler the Jonathan Institute, in Jerusalem in July 1979 and General, D.C.

in June 1984, were attended by government officials soar attracted significant press coverage.

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links