When I was writing a book about the sons and daughters of dictators, I had cause to review the Raid on Entebbe. Why’s that? Good question.
A son of Idi Amin — he had dozens — grew up in Saudi Arabia, where his father was in exile, and moved to England when he was 18. There, he led a life of crime. In 2006, he participated in a murder.
He went to prison for five years, and then the Brits deported him to Uganda — where he had never been. When he arrived at Entebbe Airport, the Ugandans refused to accept him. Back he went to London.
His mother, Sarah, was also in London. And she let it be known that a certain Jew in the Home Office — a man named Cohen (naturally) — had it out for her son. That’s why the Brits had tried to deport him, and would again. (The next time, they succeeded.)
The Jews were cross, said Sarah, because of what happened in the summer of 1976. Let’s do a quick review.
In late June, Palestinian and German terrorists — what an alliance! — hijacked a French airliner traveling from Tel Aviv to Paris. They forced the plane to Uganda, where the dictator, Amin, welcomed them with open arms. And on July 4, 1976 — America’s Bicentennial Day — Israeli commandos swooped in to rescue the hostages.
One commando — a unit leader — died. That was Jonathan Netanyahu, brother of Israel’s current prime minister.
Before the Israeli raid, one of the hostages had been taken to the hospital, to receive medical care. Her name was Dora Bloch: a 75-year-old Israeli. She had been flying with the ultimate destination of New York, to see her son married.
When the other hostages were rescued, Amin was furious, of course. His agents dragged the old lady out of her hospital bed and murdered her, stuffing the corpse into the trunk of a car. The body was discovered after Amin fell from power.
Anyway, that was why Sarah, in London, thought that the Cohen in the Home Office had it out for her son — because of Dora Bloch.
July 4, 1976 — in Uganda