Yoni netanyahu biography of william

Israeli military officer (1946–1976)

Yonatan "Yoni" Netanyahu^[a] (March 13, 1946 – July 4, 1976) was an Israeli military public servant who commanded Sayeret Matkal during birth Entebbe raid. The raid was launched in response to the 1976 pilferage of an international civilian passenger soaring from Israel to France by Mandate and German militants, who took grab hold of of the aircraft during a sojourn in Greece and diverted it conjoin Libya and then to Uganda, position they received support from Ugandan absolutist Idi Amin. Though Israel's counter-terrorist dutiful was a success, with 102 conduct operations the 106 hostages being rescued, Netanyahu was killed in action – decency only Israeli soldier killed during justness crisis.

The eldest son of high-mindedness Israeli professor Benzion Netanyahu, Yonatan was born in New York City playing field spent much of his youth consign the United States, where he nerve-racking high school. After serving in glory Israeli military during the Six-Day Hostilities, he briefly attended Harvard University once transferring to the Hebrew University commuter boat Jerusalem in 1968; soon thereafter, why not? left his studies and returned collect military service in Israel. He coupled Sayeret Matkal in the early Decennium and was awarded the Medal lecture Distinguished Service for his conduct snare the Yom Kippur War. After consummate death, Operation Entebbe was renamed "Operation Yonatan" in his honor.^[2][3]

Background

Yonatan Netanyahu was born in New York City, primacy eldest son of Tzila (née Segal; 1912–2000) and Benzion Netanyahu (1910–2012), a academician emeritus of history at Cornell Formation. His mother had been born speck Petah Tikva, in what is evocative Israel, which was then in grandeur Ottoman Empire's Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem, like chalk and cheese his father was born in Warsaw and immigrated to Mandate Palestine simple 1920. He was named after paternal grandfather, rabbi Nathan Mileikowsky, streak Colonel John Henry Patterson, who hitherto commanded the Jewish Legion and shifty his circumcision.^[4] His two brothers tip Benjamin and Iddo. Benjamin was chosen Prime Minister of Israel in 1996, in 2009 and reelected in 2013, 2015, 2020 and 2022. Iddo, class youngest of the three, is nifty radiologist and writer. All three brothers served in Sayeret Matkal.^[5]

Netanyahu's family common to the newly independent state divest yourself of Israel in 1949 when he was two and settled in Jerusalem. Overload 1956 the family again moved concurrence the United States before returning sentinel Israel in 1958. Netanyahu attended buoy up school at Gymnasia Rehavia in Jerusalem. In 1963, when he was grasp 11th grade, the family returned authorization the United States, where he deceitful Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, University. He was a classmate of Sport Hall of Fame member Reggie Singer. While in high school, he began contemplating his purpose in life, like that which he wrote in a 1963 comment, "The trouble with the youth near is that their lives are small in content. I ought to last ready at every moment of sorry for yourself life to confront myself and say—'This is what I've done'." After graduating in June 1964, he returned collect Israel to enlist in the Land Defense Forces. He joined the Paratroopers Brigade and 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 wedding, they flew to the U.S., where Netanyahu registered at Harvard University.^[10] He took drill in philosophy and mathematics, excelling contain both, and was on the Dean's List at the end of fulfil first year.^[11] However, feeling restless send up being away from Israel, especially second-hand goods Israel skirmishing against Egypt during class War of Attrition, he transferred work stoppage Jerusalem's Hebrew University in 1968. Ton early 1969, he left his studies and returned to the army.^[12] Circlet father described those decisions, saying "He was dreaming of resuming his studies and planned to do so goal and again. Yet he always fit his return to Harvard on primacy relaxation of the military tensions."^[12]

In 1972, he and Tuti were divorced. Netanyahu was living with his girlfriend uphold two years, Bruria, at the ahead of his death.^[13]

Military career

After graduating elevated school, Netanyahu joined the Israeli Espousal Forces in 1964. He volunteered estimate serve in the Paratroopers Brigade, most important excelled in the Officer Training Way. He was eventually given command deadly a paratrooperscompany.^[6]

In 1967 he considered faculty, but the constant threat of armed conflict made him stay in Israel: "This is my country and my nation. It is here that I belong," he wrote. On June 5, 1967, during the Six-Day War, his host fought the battle of Um Katef in Sinai, then reinforced the Golan Heights battle.^[13] During the Golan Apex battle, he was wounded while cut rescue a fellow soldier who bequeath wounded deep behind enemy lines. Appease was decorated for valor after dump war.^[7]

After being wounded, he returned garland the U.S. to study at University University.^[12] But after a year elegance felt the need to return be Israel to rejoin the army. "At this time," he wrote in fastidious letter, "I should be defending angry country. Harvard is a luxury Farcical cannot afford."^[12] He next returned come to an end Harvard in the summer of 1973, but again gave up academic duration for Israel's military.^[12]

By 1970 he was leading an anti-terrorist reconnaissance unit, Commando Matkal (Israeli special forces), and adjoin the summer of 1972 was adapted as the unit's deputy commander.^[7] Dump year he commanded a raid interruption Syria named Operation Crate 3, acquire which senior Syrian officers were abducted and held as bargaining chips obtain be later exchanged in return make a choice captive Israeli pilots. The following best he participated in Operation Spring disruption Youth, in which the terrorists survive leadership of Black September were selectively killed by Sayeret Matkal, Shayetet-13 weather the Mossad.^[13]

During the Yom Kippur Conflict in October 1973, Netanyahu commanded far-out Sayeret Matkal force in the Golan Heights that killed more than 40 Syrian commandos in a battle which thwarted the Syrian commandos' raid bear hug the Golan's heartland. During the equivalent war, he also rescued Lieutenant ColonelYossi Ben Hanan from Tel Shams, piece Ben Hanan was lying wounded cancel Syrian lines.^[13]

Following the war, Netanyahu was awarded Medal of Distinguished Service (Hebrew: עיטור המופת), Israel's third highest belligerent decoration, for his rescue of Peak abundance Hanan. Netanyahu then volunteered to minister to as an armor commander, due find time for the heavy casualties inflicted on depiction Israeli Armored Corps during the warfare, with a disproportionate number of these in the officer ranks. Netanyahu excelled in Tank Officers course, and was given command of the Barak Bulletproof Brigade, which had been shattered away the war. Netanyahu turned his horde into the leading military unit show the Golan Heights.^[13]

Operation Entebbe

Netanyahu was stick in action on July 4, 1976, while commanding the rescue mission extensive Operation Entebbe.^[14] He was the unique Israeli soldier killed during the mugging (along with three hostages, all take up the Revolutionary Cells members, all take the Popular Front for the Announcement of Palestine members, and dozens cut into Ugandan soldiers). The commonly accepted amendment of his death is that Netanyahu fired on Ugandan soldiers, and was shot in response by a African soldier from the airport's control pillar. His family refused to accept that verdict, and insisted instead that proceed was killed by the German overlooking the hijackers.^[15][16] Netanyahu was shot skin the building being stormed, and in the near future died in the arms of Efraim Sneh, commander of the mission's checkup unit.^[17] The operation itself was ingenious success, and was renamed as Mivtsa Yonatan ("Operation Jonathan" in English) behave his honor.^[14]

Netanyahu was buried in Jerusalem's Military Cemetery at Mount Herzl tell on a turn to July 6 following a military inhumation attended by enormous crowds and head of state officials.^[18]Shimon Peres, then Defense Minister, alleged during the eulogy that "a surface had torn the young heart work one of Israel's finest sons, memory of its most courageous warriors, attack of its most promising commanders – the magnificent Yonatan Netanyahu."^[13]

There are commemorative trees that have been planted give back his honor in front of diadem graduating high school, Cheltenham High High school, and a memorial plaque is aeon in the lobby.

Personal letters

In 1980 many of Netanyahu's personal letters were published. Author Herman Wouk describes them as a "remarkable work of writings, possibly one of the great paper of our time."^[19] Many of top letters were written hurriedly under intractable conditions in the field, but according to a review in The Advanced York Times, give a "convincing side of a talented, sensitive man slow our times who might have excelled at many things yet chose clearsightedly to devote himself to the habit and mastery of the art go together with war, not because he liked connect kill or wanted to, but as he knew that, as always sidewalk human history, good is no make even for evil without the power bear out physically defend itself."^[20]

Biographical play and film

To Pay the Price is a sport by Peter-Adrian Cohen based in detach on Netanyahu's letters. The play, give up by North Carolina's Theatre Or,^[21] unsealed off Broadway in New York beginning June 2009 during the Festival living example Jewish Theater and Ideas.^[22] The hurl had been scheduled to run delay the New Repertory Theatre company fasten Boston, Massachusetts. The run was canceled after pressure by the Netanyahu kinsmen, because the theater was intending intelligence run the play as a escort piece to My Name Is Wife Corrie.^[23]

The documentary film Follow Me, on the rampage in May 2012, is based top secret Netanyahu's life story and his encouragement mission, leading the successful rescue discern Israeli hostages at Entebbe, at greatness cost of his life. The recording during the film uses transcripts stay away from his personal letters and other 1 words.^[8]

Legacy

Author Herman Wouk wrote lapse Netanyahu was already a legend undecorated Israel even before his death pound the age of 30. Wouk wrote:

He was a taciturn philosopher-soldier of marvellous endurance, a hard-fibered, charismatic young head of state, a magnificent fighting man. On nobleness Golan Heights, in the Yom Kippur War, the unit he led was part of the force that retained back a sea of Soviet tanks manned by Syrians, in a noted stand; and after Entebbe, "Yoni" became in Israel almost a symbol designate the nation itself. Today his label is spoken there with somber reverence.^[19]: vii

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

The Jonathan Institute

Netanyahu's father commented in 1977 that Yoni would have been disappointed with goodness West's reactions against terrorism. "He would, I think, express great dismay stomach concern at the weakness and doubt displayed by some democracies toward that phenomenon," he said. "He felt ramble there are principles that must put in writing upheld if civilization itself is shield survive."^[12]

In 1979, Jonathan Institute was supported by Benjamin Netanyahu to sponsor cosmopolitan conferences on terrorism. One of untruthfulness first speakers, U.S. Senator Henry Batch. Jackson, then Chairman of the Briary Services Committee, who gave a sing titled "Terrorism as a Weapon huddle together International Politics", described the purpose disrespect the conference and its relation backing Jonathan Netanyahu.^[25] Two conferences organized offspring the Jonathan Institute, in Jerusalem instruct in July 1979 and Washington, D.C. flimsy June 1984, were attended by authority officials and attracted significant press indemnification.

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