Remembering October 7th

Today is the one-year anniversary of the horrific attack that took place when Hamas terrorists from Gaza entered Israel and killed over 1,000 Jewish lives, shaking the very foundation of the illusion of safety and tranquility for those whose lives were directly affected by the events that transpired on that fateful day and the days that followed. Today is a day to remember: to grieve for those who perished and those who were maimed, and to acknowledge the ultimate sacrifice of the heroic Israeli soldiers and first responders who lost their lives on October 7th and in the months that followed. One of the most difficult and heart-wrenching aspects of the aftermath of October 7th has been the hostages who were captured and taken to Gaza on that day where they experienced unfathomable suffering. We are still praying every day that those who remain will be returned safely and speedily to their families and loved ones. And for those who have been killed while in captivity, that their bodies are returned to their families for a proper burial.

While Jews and people of good will the world over continue to pray and beseech the Almighty to free the hostages and bring this tragic experience to a close, these events remind us of the words of the Hagaddah that ring true each year when we recite the passage that begins with the words Vehi Sheamda, “And this (Hashem’s blessings and the Torah) is what kept our fathers and what keeps us surviving. For, not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather in every generation they try to destroy us, and Hashem saves us from their hands.” Often we feel helpless and fear the worst. There is however a truly powerful Jewish adage which can hopefully bring us some solace and transform “hopelessness” into something hopeful. The words “Yeshuat Hashem k’heref ayin,” implore us to believe that the salvation of God can appear in the blink of the eye. One such instance was the frightening hijacking that took place during the summer of 1976 that led to a dramatic rescue of hostages in Entebbe, Uganda.

When Air France Flight 139 left the Tel Aviv airport on the afternoon of June 27, 1976, the passengers and crew could not have imagined the terrifying, yet heroic, events of which they would be a part. The flight flew from Tel Aviv to Athens, and, after a quick refuel, was on its way to Paris. The four terrorists who boarded in Athens, however, had other plans. Not long after the plane began to cruise, the terrorists forced the pilot to redirect the flight to Uganda, an African nation controlled then by the ruthless dictator Idi Amin, who gave the hijackers his full support.

The passengers were taken off the plane at an unused airport terminal in Entebbe. The terrorists, members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, demanded a ransom payment of $5 million USD and the release of 53 Palestinian or pro-Palestinian prisoners by July 1st. As the diplomatic shuffling began, the terrorists separated the Israeli passengers, approximately 105 people, including a few non-Israelis and the crew, from the rest of the passengers. The non-Israeli group of hostages was released over the next few days.

As negotiations continued and the deadline was moved to July 4th, the Israeli government realized that action was needed. With little time and facing tremendously difficult odds, Israel planned and implemented an unthinkable rescue operation. (It helped that the now unused terminal in Entebbe had originally been designed by Israeli architects who still knew the layout!)

Over 200 commando troops were flown to Uganda, traveling seven and a half hours under the radar of un-friendly territory. They landed and approached the terminal in what appeared to be Idi Amin’s personal convoy and snuck into the building. Once they were detected, a firefight broke out. Three passengers were unfortunately killed, but the vast majority made it home. Many Israeli soldiers were wounded, but only one, unit commander Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu (brother of the current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu), was killed.

“Operation Thunderbolt,” as it was officially called, is often referred to as “Operation Entebbe” or, more recently, as “Operation Yonatan” in honor of the raid’s fallen leader.

While it seemed farfetched with the taking of those hostages that it would end with the safe release of almost all of them, thankfully, God’s salvation became apparent in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Let us continue to pray that God will bring another salvation, and all of the remaining hostages currently held in Gaza will be released in the blink of an eye.