By Debbie Schlussel

Israelis Welcome Heroic Israeli Commandos Upon Return From Rescue at Entebbe

It’s not only America’s Independence Day. It’s also an important anniversary for Western Civilization vs. jihadists. Forty years ago today, Israel successfully carried out Operation Entebbe a/k/a Operation Thunderbolt a/k/a Operation Jonathan. It’s an operation that hearkens back to a time, just a few decades ago when Israel was fearless and great, instead of a sitting duck for terrorists to murder young girls and babies while they sleep.

Below, I’m reposting some of what I wrote on the 35th anniversary of this event–a great victory for Israel and a strong defeat for Muslims who want to destroy the West. Nothing has changed since then.

On July 4, 1976, we celebrated a great milestone in American history, the Bicentennial–200 years of American survival and triumph. My parents took me and my sisters to Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum in Dearbornistan, Michigan, to watch a Bicentennial parade. As proud Americans, we joyously partook in America’s monumental celebration. I asked my dad if I would be around for the Tricentennial, and he said, “Maybe . . . if you live to be 107 years old.” But there was a cherry on top, that day, which I will always remember, even though I was just seven years old at the time: the heroic, successful Israeli Army rescue of passengers that hijackers working for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist group (and Germany’s Baader-Meinhoff Gang/Red Army) had taken hostage to Uganda.

I remember how proud my late father was, seeing the reports on the TV news that night, just after we returned home from our sunny, happy day at the parade. America was jubilant in celebrating its special birthday and independence, and its closest ally in the world, Israel, was also jubilant in the rescue of people taken hostage on an Air France flight because they were Jews and flying from Israel. Israel paid special tribute and had parades in honor of its ally, America’s 200 years of independence. But Israel also had its own celebration going on–that Israel had successfully rescued so many Jewish lives threatened by Palestinian terrorists. I say Palestinian–and not Muslim–because the PFLP was not an Islamic organization. Its leader, George Habash, and his deputy, Wadih Haddad, were Christian Arabs. Yes, Christian Arabs have their key role in Arab terrorism, and don’t ever forget it. It’s part of their culture. It’s in their blood. They often hate Jews just as much as the Muslims do.

Rescued Hostages Return to Israel From Entebbe

The Israeli commandos at Entebbe carried out a secret mission planned on the previous Jewish Sabbath to rescue the passengers. All but four passengers were rescued. Three were shot by the pro-Palestinian hijackers, and an elderly Jewish lady was murdered by Muslim Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s henchmen, as she sought medical treatment at a Ugandan hospital. The operation’s commander, Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu a/k/a Jonathan Netanyahu–whom many say was the superior Netanyahu brother to current Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was killed in the raid. Other than this casualty, the operation was carried out with surgical accuracy and success. Although the flight contained 248 passengers, as is usual for bigoted Palestinians and their supporters, the non-Jewish passengers were freed, and 103 Jewish hostages were rescued by Netanyahu and his fellow IDF commandos. The Israeli commandos also killed all three hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers (have fun with those 72-revirginized, chumps!), and they blew up 11 Soviet MiGs. An awesome achievement.

There are three terrific movies made about Operation Entebbe, all of which I recommend highly. There is the great “Raid on Entebbe,” starring the late Charles Bronson and many other famous actors, the entire video of which is posted below for your viewing pleasure. And, don’t forget, “Victory at Entebbe [VHS],” starring the late Elizabeth Taylor and many other big names. And, last but not least, there is “Operation Thunderbolt a/k/a Mivtza Yonatan,” starring Klaus Kinski, which is mostly in Hebrew with English subtitles. That one was made by the famous Israeli film producer duo of Menachem Golan and Yoram Globus, who made “The Delta Force,” “Bloodsport,” “Breakin’,” and a gazillion other American movie titles you’d recognize. Sadly, as I’ve noted on this site repeatedly, none of these movies–the two which were made in Hollywood and shown on American broadcast network television and the Israeli movie–would be made today. Hollywood doesn’t have the guts, and Israel makes mostly anti-Israel movies, today. Neither ABC nor NBC, which showed the movies, has the guts, either. They wouldn’t want to offend the Muslims and the Arabs by showing actual, factual history with Jews acting heroically and kicking Muslim and Arab ass. The same goes for all of the big name actors, today. Wimps and PC fools.

Incidentally, I also recommend the book, The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu: The Commander of the Entebbe Rescue Force (See all History of Israel Books) , recommended and given as a gift to me by David at the JIDF. Great stuff, and shows you the kind of mensch and great writer the late Yoni Netanyahu was.

As I noted, this was not only a great victory for Israel, but for the West. It was one of the few times when the West successfully saved most hostages versus Islamic terrorists (the Ugandans) and pan-Arabist hijackers (from the PFLP and the German terrorist groups). And, unlike the Navy SEALS operation killing Bin Laden, there was no burial at sea complete with a Muslim imam’s blessings for the Ugandan soldiers. Nope, Israel left ’em to rot. And that’s the way it should be.

So, as we celebrate our country’s 240th anniversary, remember another important anniversary in the West’s fight versus our enemies.