El Al pilot who fought terrorists in 1970 Munich attack dies at 90

Former El Al pilot Uriel Cohen, who fought three terrorists who targeted Israelis in a terrorist attack at the Munich Airport in 1970, has died at age of 90. Cohen is survived by his widow, five children, and 14 grandchildren, and his funeral was scheduled to take place on Sunday in Savyon.

On February 10, 1970, an airport bus carrying 15 Israeli tourists from Gate Five to the plane on which they were scheduled to fly to London came under attack by an Arab terrorist, who raised his arm to throw a grenade at the vehicle. According to a contemporaneous JTA report, Cohen "leaped" on him, taking him down. The grenade the attacker had in his hand exploded while he was still holding it. The blast killed on passenger and wounded several others.

One of the wounded was stage and screen star Hannah Meron, whose leg doctors were forced to amputate due to the severity of her injuries. She was escorted to the hospital by fellow actor Assi Dayan, who was unscathed.

The two other terrorists in the gang opened fire on the bus, which ensued in a firefight with Munich police. Both shooters were wounded and apprehended.

Before Israel was founded, Cohen was a member of the Irgun. In 1948, he was wounded during an operation in Jerusalem.

On Saturday, El Al said in a statement, "The El Al family bows its head at the passing of Uriel Cohen, who acted with courage and determination to keep terrorists from hurting El Al passengers, and bravely subdued a terrorist on an El Al flight."