MovieChat Forums > Raid on Entebbe (1976) Discussion > Yoni's death

Yoni's death

posted 14 years ago by midwffan
12 replies | jump to latest

I just re-watched this movie. I have always enjoyed it. I read on the “Net” what was stated as the actual report from the commandos in the raid. In that report it said that Yoni actually died in the initial raid in the airport and not at the end, as the film would have you to believe. With no intent of blemishing his historic name, I am just curious for historic fact if this is true. All this knowing full well that the film industry some times takes “creative latitude” in producing a movie.

[–] randyparr1952 14 years ago

As I recall from reading in Newsweek right after this happened in 1976, the graphic timeline showed that Yoni was taken out by a sniper at the conclusion of the raid, generally as depicted. However, I thought he and Dora Bloch were the only casualties, yet the movie depicts at least two casualties among the passengers. Even if that was dramatic license, I don't know what the dramatic purpose could have been.

I don't have to show you any stinking badges!

[–] smile4free 14 years ago

Interesting, although in the Israeli film Mivtsa Yonatan, in which Yonatan Netanyahu is the main character, he also dies at the latter part of the operation.

[–] stikpusher 14 years ago

From what I have read, Yoni was hit during the initial entry in to the terminal. He died sometime during the extraction without regaining conciousness. I can understand all the detials of the raid were not released for several years after the raid for OPSEC reasons. In any case, still a damn good movie, especially as "made for TV" film in those days. better than many cinema releases today.

[–] hswitzer 14 years ago

IIRC, Yoni was hit when they were evacuating the hostages to the planes, after the initial raid, but before most of the other action with the Ugandans.

propaganda=on IMDB, apparently any movie with Americans as the good guys

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Bklyn4ever 13 years ago

In addition to Y. Netanyahu from the commandos, four of the hostages died.
The lady taken to the hospital was murdered by Ugandans as a reprisal.
A French passenger who understood neither Hebrew nor English and did not understand the commandos' orders was killed because he did not get down and take cover like the other hostages; he was taken for a terrorist.
Two other hostages were killed in the crossfire.
All the hijackers were killed, a bunch of Ugandan soldiers, and finally, dozens of Kenyans living in Uganda were slaughtered on Idi Amin's orders as a reprisal for Kenya allowing the planes to refuel there.
So all in all, quite a disaster, but it could have been a lot worse if it had not been handled so decisively.

[–] grendelkhan 13 years ago

Actually, I believe I read in a book some years back that at least one terrorist was unaccounted for and was believed to have escaped from the terminal and disappeared into the countryside.

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."-Groucho

[–] kdmacd 11 years ago

And if there wasn't at least ONE that got away - who fired the sniper shot at Netanyahu at the end...?
;-)

[–] flyboy152 11 years ago

He was killed by a Ugandan soldier, not one of the terrorists.

[–] tallkennj 13 years ago

It was certainly a disaster from Idi Amin's and the Palestinean's perspective. The Isrealis, quite correctly, consider this one of their finest hours. I agree with them. Yes, a few hostages died, but failure to take a military action would have resulted in a huge escalation of similar hijackings. Remember, in the 70s, before airport screening increased, plane hijacking was a very common thing. This successful raid told the world that, unlike the American airlines (who typically paid ransom when their planes were hijacked), if you hijacked an airline with largely Isreali citizens, the Israeli government would NOT be giving in to your demands. It worked, too, because even while hijacking remained a regular occurence through the 70s, there were few attempts on Israeli airlines.

[–] MetFanMac 11 years ago

Let's not forget the El Al pilot who foiled an attempted hijacking by putting the plane INTO A NOSEDIVE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson%27s_Field_hijackings#El_Al_Flight_ 219

Supermodels...spoiled stupid little stick figures mit poofy lips who sink only about zemselves.

[–] VIOC-Tech 10 years ago

Now THAT'S ballsy.