Militaryיונתן נתניהו

Yonatan Netanyahu

Yonatan Netanyahu was an Israeli military officer who commanded Sayeret Matkal and was killed leading the 1976 Entebbe raid.

1946 to 1976Commanding Sayeret MatkalThe 1976 Entebbe raidMedal of Distinguished Service

Born: 13 March 1946, New York City
Died: 4 July 1976, Entebbe
Occupation: paratrooper, military officer, soldier
Education: Cheltenham High School, Harvard University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Wars: Six-Day War, Yom Kippur War, Entebbe raid, War of Attrition

Yonatan Netanyahu was born in 1946 in New York City

Yonatan Netanyahu was born in New York City in 1946, the eldest son of Tzila and Benzion Netanyahu. His brothers were Benjamin, later prime minister of Israel, and Iddo. The family moved to Jerusalem in 1949 and moved between Israel and the United States in later years.

He studied at Gymnasia Rehavia in Jerusalem and finished high school at Cheltenham High School in Pennsylvania in 1964. After the Six-Day War he studied at Harvard University, then transferred to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1968. He soon left his studies to return to the army.

He enlisted in 1964 and served in the Paratroopers Brigade. He later served in Sayeret Matkal, fought in the Yom Kippur War, and then commanded an armored battalion. In 1975 he became commander of Sayeret Matkal.

He was killed on July 4, 1976, during the rescue of hostages at Entebbe in Uganda. He was the only Israeli soldier killed in the raid, which was renamed Operation Yonatan in his honor. He was buried at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, and his brothers later published a book of his letters.

Yonatan Netanyahu's life in 8 milestones

1946
Born in New York City.
1964
Enlisted in the IDF and joined the Paratroopers Brigade.
1967
Fought in the Six-Day War and was wounded on the Golan Heights.
1968
Transferred from Harvard to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
1972
Became deputy commander of Sayeret Matkal.
1973
Fought in the Yom Kippur War and received the Medal of Distinguished Service.
1975
Became commander of Sayeret Matkal.
1976
Was killed during the Entebbe raid.

Yonatan Netanyahu served in Sayeret Matkal

He served in the Paratroopers Brigade from 1964 and fought in the Six-Day War, then served in Sayeret Matkal, becoming deputy commander in 1972 and commander with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1975. He received the Medal of Distinguished Service for rescuing Yossi Ben-Hanan in the Yom Kippur War and was killed commanding the assault force at Entebbe in 1976.

Sayeret Matkal