RAID ON ENTEBBE

RAID ON ENTEBBE
USA, 1977

Directed by Irvin Kershner

Peter Finch
Charles Bronson
Yaphet Kotto

Raid on Entebbe is a 1977 TV movie directed by Irvin Kershner. It is based on an actual event: Operation Entebbe and the freeing of hostages at Entebbe Airport in Entebbe, Uganda on July 4, 1976. It was the last movie to be released featuring Academy Award-winning actor Peter Finch.

The movie was released shortly after a more hastily released

made-for-television version came out - Victory at Entebbe (1976). This version of Operation Entebbe is believed to be fairly accurate, although some details of the actual raid remain unclear and somewhat controversial even today. The basic facts of the rescue of hostages held when hijackers working for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine boarded and hijacked an Air France plane recounts the events and response of the Israeli government and the controversy that the rescue stirred. This version shows the difficult deliberations held by the Cabinet of Israel to decide on a top-secret military raid on the Jewish Sabbath by commandos; a difficult and daring operation carried out over 2500 miles from home, and of course, an unwillingness of the Israeli government to give in to terrorist demands. One commando was killed (the operation commander Jonathan Netanyahu, brother of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu), a very small number of hostages, and soldiers under the then dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin.