Summer in Jerusalem, Israel, is warming up as always in the Middle Eastern sun.
The 25th Knesset concluded its term.
With 100 days to go until the new elections, the political airwaves will heat up as well.
Tisha B’Av begins on Wednesday night and continues until dark on Thursday.
Then Israelis begin the serious holiday time, with many planning to travel.
But first, it was time to remember that eventful trip 50 years ago.
An Air France plane was hijacked by terrorists; the Israelis on board were held hostage in Uganda.
The commemoration of the daring Operation Entebbe was held at Beit Hanasi, the Israeli President’s residence.
Media, videos, and photographers came in large numbers early to set up.
I took a seat where I could see survivors meet again with their rescuers.
For eight days, the world waited as the Israelis were held 4,000 kilometers from home.
Before the program began, Benjamin and Iddo Netanyahu lit a memorial candle for their fallen brother Yoni, who led the rescue mission.
The other candles were lit to remember the civilians who died during the rescue and Dora Bloch, who was murdered in a Ugandan hospital.
The short video highlighted the young children who had to be entertained under the most dire of circumstances.
The video ended with those children united again and posing with smiles.
The panel discussion included former Hamas hostage Noa Argamani and one of the IDF soldiers who rescued her from Gaza. Also on the panel were Doron Almog, chairman of the Jewish Agency and a veteran of the operation, Amos Eran, who served as director-general of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s Office during those sleepless nights, and Dr. Ephraim Sneh.
From my seat, I could take that scene. Noa’s father, Yaakov, was intentionally left in the photo watching his daughter on stage.
At the 40th Entebbe commemoration, I was not seated in the center of the room. Then I was able to get to the front row of dignitaries.
Shimon Peres (center) was Israel’s Defense Minister during the July 4, 1976 Entebbe raid (Operation Entebbe / Operation Thunderbolt / Operation Jonathan.
Who else do you recognize?
Meanwhile –
On the Alon Shvut campus of Herzog College this past week, thousands of people gathered to remember and study events from long ago.
One of the hundreds of teachers, Rabbi Menachem Leibtag, spoke about when politics and religion clash – in the Bible.
Nothing new under the sun?
Rabbi Yoel Bin Nun started teaching teachers in the summer over 30 years ago.
Growing every year, locations throughout the campus were filled with men and women.
People come from across Israel and overseas to study the Bible in Hebrew, English, Spanish, and French.
The schedule is packed throughout the week, making it hard to decide which classes to attend.
And out on the Jerusalem streets, construction goes on.
The building projects rise higher.
Time to come see for yourself!
This year in Jerusalem!
