PM: I'm moved to be standing where my brother fell in battle

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began a four-day African tour on Monday, attending a memorial service at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda where his older brother, Yonatan Netanyahu, was killed rescuing hostages 40 years ago.

"I am moved standing here as the prime minister of Israel, in this place that brought endless pride to our soldiers, to the IDF and to our nation," Netanyahu said in a speech he delivered at the ceremony. "I am moved standing here, in the place where IDF soldiers liberated the hostages in the heart of Africa, thousands of kilometers from Israel, with the commanders and soldiers who took part in the operation.

"I am moved standing here with the relatives of Jean-Jacques Mimouni, Ida Boruhovitch, Pasco Cohen and Dora Bloch, who lost their lives at Entebbe. I am moved standing here in this place, right in the place where my brother Yoni, commander of the Sayeret Matkal, was killed while leading the force that stormed the old terminal, overcame the terrorists and freed the hostages."

The old building where the hostages were held still stands, but a new terminal now serves the airport at Entebbe, which lies a few miles from the Ugandan capital of Kampala.

Some of the Israeli soldiers involved in the July 1976 raid attended Monday's ceremony.

"Here, where the old terminal stood, our brethren were held hostage by cruel terrorists, and this is where our soldiers came to rescue them in a brilliant mission that is almost unparalleled in history," Netanyahu said. "Entebbe is always with me, in my thoughts, in my consciousness and deep in my heart.

"The hijacking of the Air France plane to Entebbe touched a raw nerve with the people of Israel. Thirty-one years after the Holocaust, Jews again had to undergo a separation of Jews and non-Jews by those who wanted to kill us. The terrorists freed the hostages of other nationalities, but they condemned the Jews to the terror of death.

"Essential intelligence was provided by members of the Mossad, and the determination of the commanders, the soldiers and the pilots helped convince the government of Israel to act. Each of you, soldiers and pilots who flew to Entebbe, those who are here and those who are not, members of the Air Force, the Sayeret Matkal, the Paratroopers Brigade, the Golani Brigade and the Medical Corps, each of you flew here without knowing if you would come home. You came to rescue, but you knew that in the event there was a problem, there would be no one to rescue you. And despite this, each of you fought to be on the planes because you understood the importance of the mission."

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni also spoke at the ceremony. He said Israel had been right to carry out the operation, which took place when the late Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was in power. Museveni said Amin's "hobnobbing with terrorists was a crime in itself."

Museveni said the Ugandan government supports a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

"The two of you belong to that area," Museveni said, urging both sides to live "side by side in two states ... in peace and with recognized borders."

Museveni recounted telling former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about the ties between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.

"When I went to Iran, and there was the man who was president at the time, the one before the current one -- Ahmadinejad -- I told him about this biblical story," Museveni said. "He was telling me the Jews are not from the Middle East, but from Europe. I said no, I have my Bible, I had my Bible with me, I showed it to him."

Museveni called on Israeli companies to "come and invest in Africa." The Ugandan president said greater trade and tourism ties would benefit both Uganda and Israel.

Netanyahu was accompanied by an 80-strong delegation of Israeli business executives from more than 50 companies.

Later on Monday, Netanyahu and Museveni attended a summit in Kampala with leaders from Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia.

At the summit, Netanyahu said, "I believe in Africa. I believe in your future and I believe in our partnership for this future. And I believe that this meeting will be seen as a turning point in Israel's ability to reach a broad number of African countries, which is our goal. We want a better future for you, a better future for all of us, and we think we can be your perfect partners."

A joint declaration issued at the end of the summit by all the participants said the gathering marked "the opening of a new era in relations between Israel and the countries of Africa."

"Forty years after the historic hostage rescue operation at Entebbe airport, the world continues to face the threat of international terrorism," the statement said. "The need to unite with regional and global partners in fighting this scourge is more important than ever.

"At today's summit, the leaders committed their countries to enhancing their cooperation in the fight against terror by sharing intelligence and utilizing new technologies, including in the sphere of cyber security.

"Alongside the countries' common security challenges are shared economic opportunities. The leaders discussed broadening and deepening regional and bilateral cooperation in many fields, including the deployment of new and innovative technologies, water management, agriculture, medicine, renewable energy and sustainable development."

At the summit, Tanzanian Foreign Minister Augustine Mahiga gave Netanyahu a letter from Tanzanian President John Magufuli which said Tanzania planned to open an embassy in Israel.

Following the summit, Netanyahu flew to Kenya. On Monday, Netanyahu met in Nairobi with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. The two discussed counterterrorism, energy and agriculture.

Netanyahu's Africa trip will also include stops in Rwanda and Ethiopia.

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