President Herzog hosts state ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Operation Yonatan (Operation Entebbe)

(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)

President Isaac Herzog and the First Lady Michal Herzog today (Sunday, 12 July 2026) hosted the state ceremony marking 50 years since Operation Yonatan (Operation Entebbe) at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. The ceremony took place in the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of the General Staff LTG Eyal Zamir, alongside hostage survivors and their families, bereaved families, and veterans of the operation.

President Isaac Herzog:

“There are events that are greater than any single figure, place, or time. Fifty years later, we gather to declare something very simple: ‘Operation Yonatan’ does not belong to any one person or group. It transcends every disagreement. This is a legacy of courage and daring that echoes, and will continue to echo, for generations. A legacy that belongs to the entire nation.

“Operation Yonatan was one of the most extraordinary operations in Israel’s history. It was also a moral declaration. On that night, the State of Israel established a principle that still resonates in our generation: there are borders to the state, but there is no limit to our responsibility.

“This evening, therefore, is not only an evening of memory or testimony, it is an evening of responsibility. This evening is a commitment to be worthy of the covenant forged at Entebbe and to uphold forever the state’s commitment to its sons and daughters. However far you may be, however difficult the road, however dark the place, you are not alone—we will come.”

IDF Chief of the General Staff, LTG Eyal Zamir:

“Between Entebbe and Nuseirat, between the rescue of the October 7th hostages and those freed at Entebbe, between Yoni and Arnon, we march with resolve and a sense of historic responsibility along those same paths, near and far, to secure the safety of our citizens.

“This has been our guiding compass since that night in Entebbe, and all the more so since October 7th, rooted in a deep and clear understanding: we, and we alone, are responsible for the lives and safety of our citizens. This is how we will continue to act, everywhere, at all hours, and on every front, to secure the eternity of Israel, and to bring home to the Land of Israel anyone who finds themselves in danger.

“Operation Yonatan is engraved in golden letters in the pages of the IDF’s history, and it continues to serve as a source of inspiration for the IDF’s values and for generations of soldiers and commanders. Alongside the operation’s glory, we carry with us the memory of the hostages who were murdered on Ugandan soil. Their lives, cut short in a single moment, are an inseparable part of the story of Operation Yonatan. May the memory of those who fell at Entebbe be blessed and forever held in our hearts.”

Source: Link