Josh Hamerman: Battling against ‘the falsification of history’
If the pen is mightier than the sword, Yedioth Ahronoth proved it last June. On June 30, just before the 30-year anniversary of the IDF’s dramatic rescue of Jewish hostages in Entebbe, Uganda, the daily Hebrew newspaper published an article debunking 20 years of myths surrounding that proud moment in Israeli history.
The story, written by journalist Ariella Ringel-Hoffman, also restored the reputation of one of Israel’s most renowned military heroes.
Ringel-Hoffman’s story, ‘The Unfinished Battle,’ included a statement from 15 former members of Sayeret Matkal, the IDF’s elite commando unit, who took part in the rescue of over 100 Israelis and Diaspora Jews being held by terrorists at Entebbe Airport on July 4, 1976.
The unit members issued the statement and agreed to be interviewed by Ringel-Hoffman because they were fed up with attacks on the credibility and conduct of their late commander, Jonathan “Yoni” Netanyahu, who was the only Israeli soldier to perish during the operation.
The attacks on Yoni came from another raid participant, Muki Betser, who for 20 years claimed that he, not Yoni, planned the operation, and that Yoni’s actions during the rescue almost caused its failure, making him responsible for his own death as well as the deaths of three hostages.
In a recent interview with Ynetnews, one of Yoni’s younger brothers, radiologist and writer Iddo Netanyahu, discussed the importance of the unit members’ disclosure and Ringel-Hoffman’s article. He said of the unit’s statement, “The issue wasn’t just about criticizing something Muki Betser said. It was something more – they were coming out against the falsification of history.”
Yoni’s soldiers in Sayeret Matkal were silent in accordance with their unit’s tradition of keeping operations covert. However, the straw that broke the camel’s back was an article in the June 16 issue of Haaretz, in which journalist Amir Oren wrote, “The painful truth, that Netanyahu’s commanders and friends at first tried to conceal, is that his contribution to the operation was marginal to negative.”
Ringel-Hoffman’s article included interviews with the other participants, who discredited Betser’s assertions about what took place. Ringel-Hoffman also dug into the IDF’s archives to find statements Betser wrote in an operational report immediately following Entebbe, which contradict what he has said in the years since. ...
Read entire article at http://www.ynetnews.com
The story, written by journalist Ariella Ringel-Hoffman, also restored the reputation of one of Israel’s most renowned military heroes.
Ringel-Hoffman’s story, ‘The Unfinished Battle,’ included a statement from 15 former members of Sayeret Matkal, the IDF’s elite commando unit, who took part in the rescue of over 100 Israelis and Diaspora Jews being held by terrorists at Entebbe Airport on July 4, 1976.
The unit members issued the statement and agreed to be interviewed by Ringel-Hoffman because they were fed up with attacks on the credibility and conduct of their late commander, Jonathan “Yoni” Netanyahu, who was the only Israeli soldier to perish during the operation.
The attacks on Yoni came from another raid participant, Muki Betser, who for 20 years claimed that he, not Yoni, planned the operation, and that Yoni’s actions during the rescue almost caused its failure, making him responsible for his own death as well as the deaths of three hostages.
In a recent interview with Ynetnews, one of Yoni’s younger brothers, radiologist and writer Iddo Netanyahu, discussed the importance of the unit members’ disclosure and Ringel-Hoffman’s article. He said of the unit’s statement, “The issue wasn’t just about criticizing something Muki Betser said. It was something more – they were coming out against the falsification of history.”
Yoni’s soldiers in Sayeret Matkal were silent in accordance with their unit’s tradition of keeping operations covert. However, the straw that broke the camel’s back was an article in the June 16 issue of Haaretz, in which journalist Amir Oren wrote, “The painful truth, that Netanyahu’s commanders and friends at first tried to conceal, is that his contribution to the operation was marginal to negative.”
Ringel-Hoffman’s article included interviews with the other participants, who discredited Betser’s assertions about what took place. Ringel-Hoffman also dug into the IDF’s archives to find statements Betser wrote in an operational report immediately following Entebbe, which contradict what he has said in the years since. ...