Download: Follow Me Press Kit

International Film Circuit
presents
a Crystal City Entertainment film
FOLLOW ME
THE YONI NETANYAHU STORY
www.followmethemovie.com
Theatrical Release Date: May 4, 2012 (DC) and May 18, 2012 (NY & FL)
Running Time: 87 minutes
Rating: Unrated
An Ari Daniel Pinchot Film
Directors: Jonathan Gruber & Ari Daniel Pinchot
Producers: Ari Daniel Pinchot, Jonathan Gruber, Mark Manson, Stuart Avi Savitsky
Co-Producer: Joseph Becker
Writer: Jonathan Gruber
Executive Producer: Mark Manson
Contact:
Marian Koltai-Levine – [email protected] – 212-373-6131
Lee Meltzer – [email protected] – 212-373-6142
Lindsay Firestone – [email protected] – 212-373-6131
FOLLOW ME
The Yoni Netanyahu Story
Synopsis
JULY 4, 1976 ENTEBBE, UGANDA - Led by Lieutenant Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu, crack
Israeli commandos race from their airplanes covered by the midnight darkness.
Methodically, they approach a non-descript airline terminal, burst inside, killing the stunned
terrorists. Helpless and shocked, 103 hostages lift their heads and gratefully weep at the
mesmerizing sight of their saviors.
As the alarms begin to sound, the Israeli soldiers strike with surgical precision and speed -- a
lightning bolt of controlled, finely rehearsed fury.
It is all over in a few minutes.
Terrorists lay dead.
The hostages rush out to board the transport planes waiting to evacuate the hostages to safety.
During the mission, shots burst in the night -- and a sharp cry for help is heard. That cry would
become the cry of an entire nation, mourning the loss of its prodigal son…
Thirty-year-old Yonatan Netanyahu has been shot dead.
After leading the dramatic raid to free the hostages at Entebbe, Yonatan Netanyahu becomes
the “impossible missionʼs” most tragic casualty.
With his death, Yonatan became an international hero.
FOLLOW ME: The Yoni Netanyahu story is an intimate journey into a young heroʼs mind. The
narration for this compelling film was drawn from Yonatan Netanyahu's own letters and words,
which unveil the complex character of this thoroughly modern young hero. Yonatan's words are
deeply moving through his deep-rooted introspection, self-understanding, and heartfelt
passions.
Yonatan Netanyahuʼs American/Israeli adolescent life took a dramatic turn when he entered the
Israeli military at the age of eighteen. His thoughts and worry turned from relationships and girls
to guns and nationalism. Through his bravery and selflessness on the battlefield, he was
recognized as a national hero. However, Yonatan questioned the core value of war. Obsessed
with his duty to his young country, he put aside his personal life and feelings, resulting in a failed
marriage. Years later, Yonatan would find love again and vow to change his lifeʼs course… but it
was not meant to be, as his life was suddenly cut down on the airstrip in Entebbe, Uganda.
What makes Yonatan's story both universal and unique are his poetry, prose and letters which
allow us to see beyond this tough soldier's exterior, into a deep inner personality where heroism,
duty, love, turmoil and doubt raged. Yonatan's writings describe with striking clarity the
exhilaration and fear he faced during the critical crossroads of his short but fascinating life. But
the most important aspect of Yonatanʼs letters is the recognition of his human frailty. Yonatanʼs
sensitivity to his shortcomings and flaws led to his seemingly prophetic knowledge that these
very flaws would lead to a tragic, untimely death. Nevertheless, Yonatan Netanyahu dared to
make a difference, and is a true modern day hero.
Featuring interviews with three Israeli Prime Ministers, Yoniʼs ex-wife (for the first time on film),
and recently released audio from the Entebbe operation itself—–Follow Me brings a rare portrait
of Israelʼs elite soldiers and their greatest hero to the big screen.
The film consists of two story arcs that tragically and heroically connect. The first is the dramatic
Entebbe hijack and rescue -- 8 days when a nation held its breath and executed a military
miracle that redefined the Jewish Nationʼs call – “Never Again!” The second is the remarkable
life story of Yonatan Netanyahu, a young soldier who struggled to find the balance between his
family and the Nation he loved.
This film is about Yonatanʼs life, and what led these two dramatic story arcs to intersect on that
fateful day.
Directorsʼ Statement
From Ari Daniel Pinchot & Jonathan Gruber
Yoni Netanyahu was a complex, passionate individual thrust into defending his country in a time
of war and violence. The older brother of Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Israeli Prime
Minister, Yoni led the miraculous raid on Entebbe in 1976. Although almost all of the Entebbe
hostages were saved, Yoni was the lone military fatality—leaving behind a grief-stricken family
and nation.
Our approach to this story is an intimate one.
Unlike many army heroes, Yoni Netanyahu was a scholar, writer, and poet. He hated war—but
loved his country. He would do anything for its survival, including sacrificing a promising
academic career to become an elite soldier. Everything Yoni did, he did “all the way.” This was
the mentality that made him into a war hero and vaunted Special Forces commander. But it
also separated him from the woman he loved and destroyed his marriage. Yoni tried
unsuccessfully to find a balance between a civilian life and the life of a soldier—and this flaw
hurt the people closest to him.
The greatest tragedy of Yoniʼs lifelong struggle occurred during the final days of his life. Still a
young man, he found new love with a warm and understanding woman and worked hard to
change his character. But suddenly, his countrymen were taken hostage in Uganda, and looked
to their hero—and the elite unit that he led—to help save the day. Yoni could not let his
countrymen die, and pulled off the greatest rescue mission in history. But tragically, he never
returned.
On its own, Yoniʼs story is a dramatic one—but when told through his published and
unpublished notes and letters—it rises to another level. Follow Me is about conflict, patriotism,
war, love, family, brotherhood, sacrifice, and hope—all communicated in intimate detail through
Yoniʼs own words. Featuring interviews with three Israeli Prime Ministers, Yoniʼs ex-wife (for the
first time), and recently released audio from the Entebbe operation itself—–Follow Me brings a
rare portrait of Israelʼs elite soldiers and their greatest hero to the big screen.
The Film Team
ARI DANIEL PINCHOT is the President of CCE, and Co-Founder. Having enjoyed much
success in the documentary arena, Ari has now added his focus toward dramatic feature films.
Ariʼs first credit came as the Associate Producer of the runaway hit documentary, The Life and
Times of Hank Greenberg. The documentary was one of the top ten all-time grossing
theatrical documentaries. Purchased by HBO for television the film won Best Non-Fiction Film
2000 National Society of Film Critics; Best Documentary 2000, Broadcast Film Critics Assoc.
and Best Documentary 2000, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. Following that film
came the award winning feature documentary, Paper Clips, distributed by Miramax Films. Also
bought for television by HBO, the film won several Audience and Best Documentary Awards
including the Best Documentary at the 2003 Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film
was released theatrically in the fall of 2004. Ari also served as the Executive Producer for the
film Crossover (Showtime Networks), with Magic Johnson and Penny Marshall; Consulting
Producer for the recent documentary feature War Child, winner of the audience award at the
2008 Tribeca film Festival, and is currently producing Follow Me, a feature documentary to be
released in theaters in 2012.
In addition, CCE develops and produces dramatic feature films. In 2006, CCE created a feature
film development fund with Ealing Studios and Icon in the UK. Within a year, the partnershipʼs
first feature (I Want Candy, featuring Carmen Electra) had been produced and was distributed
in the spring of 2007. The fundʼs second film (St. Trinians starring Rupert Everett, Lena Heady,
Mischa Barton and Colin Firth) was released Christmas of 2007, and the third film (Easy Virtue)
was released in 2009, starring Colin Firth, Kristen Scott Thomas and Jessica Biel. CCE now has
a second fund that is developing three more scripts; the first went into production on January
31st 2010. Titled Burke & Hare, the film is directed by John Landis and stars Simon Pegg, John
Cleese, Isla Fisher, and Tom Wilkinson. Two more films are scheduled for production in the
spring of 2012. Ari also just completed co-producing the film Everything Must Go, starring Will
Ferrell and Rebecca Hall, distributed by Lionsgate Films in 2011, Co-Executive Produced The
Ides of March (5 2012 Golden Globes Nominations) directed and starring George Clooney,
Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ryan Gosling and Evan Rachel Wood,
distributed by Sony Pictures 2011, and Executive Produced So Undercover starring Miley
Cyrus, to be distributed by The Weinstein Company in 2012.
JONATHAN GRUBER (Director, Producer, Writer) Jonathan is the executive producer of Black Eye Productions, where he has been directing,
producing, and writing award-winning documentaries, television shows, commercials, corporate
and government videos, and other non-fiction and interactive programming since 1995. His work has aired on PBS, National Geographic Channel, The History Channel, and Discovery
Channels, on subjects as diverse as military robots, venomous snakes, and inventor Alexander
Graham Bell. He has also done projects for numerous clients such as DreamWorks, GAP,
Oracle, Johnson & Johnson, Cisco, the FBI, The World Bank, NYMEX, the Leukemia and
Lymphoma Society, and many others. Jonathan has done extensive work on historical figures and subjects, including Alexander the
Great, Leonardo da Vinci, and the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. His first feature
documentary, Pola's March, aired on public television stations across the United States, and
received a distinguished Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival.
His second feature documentary film, Life is a Banquet: The Rosalind Russell Story,
premiered in the summer of 2009 at film festivals around the U.S. and was broadcast on PBS
stations and on ABC/Australia. He is currently screening Jewish Soldiers in Blue &
Gray around the country, a first-of-its-kind documentary film on the Jewish experience during
the Civil War, and which is now airing on U.S. public television nationwide. In addition to the
2012 theatrical release of Follow Me, Jonathan is developing other feature documentaries,
including a comprehensive look at the German corporation, I.G. Farben.
MARK MANSON (Producer/Executive Producer)
Mark grew up in Toronto and was a theatre director in Western Canada during the 1970s. He
worked on Wall Street for some 25 years as an entertainment industry analyst and as a senior
manager, primarily at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and Thomas Weisel Partners. Mark spent
three years as a Distinguished Faculty Fellow at the Yale School of Management where he
designed and taught two courses about events, transforming and current. He could not be more
gratified for the opportunity to serve as Executive Producer for "Follow Me".
STUART AVI SAVITSKY (Producer)
STUART AVI SAVITSKY is the co-founder and COO of Crystal City Entertainment. Avi's first
credit was as an associate producer on the award winning feature documentary, Paper Clips,
distributed by Miramax Films. Avi also served as Co-Executive Producer for the film
Crossover (Showtime Networks) and the animated television pilot, Fresh Spins. Avi was the
executive in charge of production on the Graphic Novel, Battle of Destiny and helped develop
three feature films with Ealing Studios in the UK. Avi is currently a producer on the feature
documentary Follow Me, to be released in theaters in 2012. Avi has a Master's of Business
Administration from City University of New York. Crystal City Entertainment is one of the
production companies on the feature films Ides of March and So Undercover and has helped
develop four feature films with Ealing Studios.
ANDREW HERWITZ (Distribution Agent)
The Film Sales Company works closely with CCE to develop, finance and sell its films. Since
Film Saleʼs inception the company has concluded sales of over 35 films for theatrical, home
video, DVD, and television sales. Films sold have included: Born into Brothels(2005 Oscar
winner), Fahrenheit 9/11, Kontroll, Home Room, My Architect (2003 Oscar Nominee), War
Dance (2008 Oscar Nomination) and The Partyʼs Over. Andrew was the Co-Head of the
Acquisitions Dept. at Miramax Films from 1996–2002. There he structured deals for every
finished film and film in production acquired by Miramax for domestic and/or worldwide
distribution.
CREDITS
Executive Producer
Mark Manson
Co-Executive Producer
Richard and Heidi Rieger
Dennis Leibowitz
Co-Executive Producer
Andrew and Lisa Berman
Mark and Anla Cheng Kingdon
Co-Executive Producer
Thomas D. and Denise R. Stern
Associate Executive Producer
Bob and Joanne Stein
Louis and Mannette Mayberg
Co-Producer
Joe Becker
Associate Producer
Ariane Weisel Margalit
Grace Mozes Footlik
Amy Johanson
Assistant Editor
Laura Rose
Sound Design/Re-Recording Mixer
Skip SoRelle, MPSE
Colorist
Andrew Fetchko
Additional Graphics, Grade & Restoration
BURN
Graphics
Jeff Trussell
Recording Engineer
Ken Schubert
Production Manager
Tal Barda
Sound Recordist
Amos Zipori
Assistant Camera
Michael Israel
Slavi Grinish
Lighting Director
Dudi Kaufman
Grip
Rami Sasson
Hair and Makeup
Ingrid Zybert
Maya Helfman
ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY
Eddie Snyder
Billy and Sydney Richman
Frieda Cooper
Gary Cantor
Pace Cooper
Barbara Markowitz
Ken Miller
Michael and Edith Gelfand
Barry & Elaine Krell
INTERVIEWS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Ben Zion Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
Daphne Netanyahu
Iddo Netanyahu
Dani Litani
Elisha Barmeir
Matan Vilnai, Israeli Minister for Home Front Defense
Shimon Peres, President of Israel
Ehud Barak, Israeli Minister of Defense
Yanush Ben Gal
Chani Maayan
Tirza “Tutti” Goodman
Gideon Remez
Amos Goren
Yiftach Reicher Atir
Shlomi Reisman
Avi Weiss Livne
Giora Zorea
Shai Avital
Bruria Shaked-Okon
Dani Vesely
Nava Barak
Omer Bar Lev
ADDITIONAL INTERVIEWS
Hezi Kallner
Efraim Laor
Oscar Wasyng
Avi Armoni
Yehuda Atai
Benzy Barlevy
Amos Ben Avraham
Yosi Ben Chanan
Muki Betser
Dani Dagan
Allan Entis
Elliot Entis
Eli Katz
Ron Levi
Ric Levitt
Avishai Margalit
Luzi Margolin
Yechiam Mart
Yossi Afuta
Don Morris
Amir Ofer
Alik Ron
Alon Shemi
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Tzvi Almog
Rabbi David Greenberg
Gloria Greenfield
Chaim Lauer
Cynthia Manson
Mark Medin
Yoav Netanyahu
ADDITIONAL THANKS
Al Pollard, Martin State Airport
Silver Spring Studios
Marc Oliver
Charles Bunce
Callaghan Walsh
Interface Media Group
Arend Baumstark
Adam Hurst
Michelle May
AFI Silver Theatre
Tiffany Graham-Golden
Joshua Boehr
Josh Gardner
Rachel Pinchot
Sharon Gruber
Cheryl Savitsky
Elizabeth Arthur
Hani Azolay
Gary Balter
Jeremy Bandler
Mitchell Barak
Beit HaNassi, Jerusalem
Beit Uriel, Tel Aviv
Bikur Cholim Hospital, Jerusalem
Erica Brown
Caliph, Jaffa
ATA Carnet
Inca Cigar Bar, Tel Aviv
Lisa Covi
Dover Tzahal, North American Unit
Esther & Stephen Edell
Ido Embar
Haim Erez
Jay Footlik
Andrea Fram Plotkin
Abby Frank
Nina Freedman
Maya Gelman
Aviram Halevy
Shimon Hefetz
Ilana Goor Museum, Jaffa
Rabbi Marc Israel
Shaina Jaffe
Rivka Kidron
Bernard and Ryna Langer
Jack Lechner
Dale Chihuly—Litvak Gallery, Tel Aviv
Alexander Lonvinsky
Miriam Maimon
David Makovsky
Adeline, Rebecca, and Benjamin Manson
Elizabeth Manson
Ofer Margalit
Mount Zion Hotel, Jerusalem
Dana Mizrachi
Ben Mogil
Joanne Moore
Lee Moser
Avi Moshe-Segal
Eran Mozel
Michael Neiditch
Nevatim Army Base
Bill Nisbet
Ambassador Michael Oren
Sally Oren
Dina Rozmaryn
Warren Schoate
Micha Shagrir
Ambassador Daniel Shapiro
Susan Sherr
David and Susan Smith
Walter Soriano
Yair Stern
Seymon Vinokur
Lior Weintraub
Amos Yadlin
Tzion Zluf
AUDIO RECORDING
Naomi Dandridge
Mayflower Studios, London
James Yanisko
Clean Cuts, Silver Spring, Maryland
Bill Ahearn
Tapeworks, Hartford, Connecticut
TRANSCRIPTION
Interface Media Group
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
Kate Coe
LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY
GREENBERG TRAURIG, L.L.P.
Mary Miles
Stephen Dietrich
Steven Beer
Sam Levy
INSURANCE COVERAGE PROVIDED BY
Laird Criner, Film Emporium
OneBeacon Insurance Group
ARCHIVAL MATERIALS
ABC
AP Images
Rosalind Barnett Cunningham
BBC
Belfilms
Amnon Biran
The British Empire and Commonwealth Museum
CBS
Cheltenham High School
Golan Globus
Tirza “Tutti” Goodman
Government Press Office, Israel
Aviram Halevy
Harvard University
Highlight Films
Israel Broadcasting Authority
"Emek Ha-Bakha," Director: Haim Gil, 1981 courtesy of IBA
Israel Film Service
Israel Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center
Israel Ministry of Defense Archive
Israeli Defense Forces Spokesperson's Unit
Israel Sun
ITN Source
Magnum Photos
Micha Bar Am
MorDagan
National Photo Collection, Israel
NBC
NPR
Iddo Netanyahu
Bruria Shaked-Okon
Thought Equity Motion
United Nations Archives
United Studios of Israel
UPI
Vanderbilt TV News Archive
BOSTON SCULLER DP
Gary Henoch
GEAR IN ISRAEL PROVIDED BY
On Air Ltd.
Utopia Camera Services
ACCOMODATIONS IN ISRAEL PROVIDED BY
David Intercontinental Hotel, Tel Aviv
Inbal Jerusalem Hotel
“Help Yourself”
Written by Bradley Grant Smith
Performed by Sad Brad
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Published by Songs of SKG (BMI)
COPYRIGHT 2012
Yonatanʼs Story, Inc.
a 501(c)(3) foundation
www.followmethemovie.com
Additional Biographic Information for FOLLOW ME: THE YONI NETANYAHU STORY
Yonatan (Yoni) Netanyahu
http://www.yoni.org.il
When Yoni was born on March 13, 1946 in New York City, his parents, Benzion and Cela, were
working for the creation of a Jewish State on behalf of the New Zionist Organization. Benzion
came to the U.S. from Israel as a member of a delegation headed by V. Jabotinsky, the founder
and head of the NZO, and shortly after the latterʼs death assumed the leadership of the
organization in America.
Shortly after Yoni turned two, his parents returned to their homeland, now the newly created
state of Israel. Yoniʼs father assumed the editorship of the first general Hebrew Encyclopedia
while pursuing, from time to time, his researches on the history of the Jews in the Middle Ages.
At first the family lived in Talpiot, a southern neighborhood of Jerusalem, where Yoniʼs brothers
Benjamin (Bibi) and Iddo were born. In 1955 the family moved to their permanent home in the
Katamon district of Jerusalem. There Yoni attended the local school “Darom”.
In 1957 the family left for more than a year and a half to the U.S., where Yoniʼs father could do
further historical research. After their return to Jerusalem in 1959, Yoni went to High School at
the Hebrew Gymnasium. Yoni was a brilliant student, excelling both in academic work and in
sports. He was also a very active troop leader in the Scouts. When he was in the 11th grade, he
was elected president of the student council of the Gymnasium. In the middle of the school year,
however, Yoni and his family left Israel again for his fatherʼs continuing historical work. They
settled in Elkins Park, a suburb of Philadelphia, where Prof. Netanyahu taught at Dropsie
College, a school of higher learning for Jewish studies.
Yoni attended school at Cheltenham High School. Despite the difficulties he faced with the new
language and environment, he quickly excelled in his studies. During the summer of 1963, he
joined some of his friends from Israel, who came to New Hampshire to work as counselors at a
Young Judea camp.
Enlistment in the Israeli army
In June 1964, following his graduation, Yoni returned to Israel. His family was to remain in
America for the coming years, frequently visiting Israel. Upon being drafted into the Israeli
Defense Forces for his obligatory military service, Yoni volunteered for the paratroopers. He
proved to be a superb soldier, undergoing the grueling training sessions with relative ease and
excelling in all the various courses. He was sent to Officersʼ Training School, from which he
graduated first in his class. Yoni then became a platoon commander in the paratroopers. With
the growing escalation of terrorist attacks from across the borders, he saw action in a retaliatory
raid on a PLO stronghold in the West Bank, then held by Jordan.
In January 31, 1967 Yoni was discharged. He had already been accepted to Harvard University
for the fall of 1967, and with time on his hands now, he was brushing up on his studies and
reading works of literature and philosophy.
In May of 1967 dramatic events were unfolding in the Middle East. The Arab world openly
declared its intention to destroy the state of Israel. War was imminent, and Yoni, along with
numerous other reservists, was mobilized. When war finally broke out on June 5, Yoni took part
in the fierce and pivotal battle of Um Katef at the Sinai. A few days later he participated in
battles on the Golan Heights. On the last day of the war he was wounded in his arm, while
reaching out to help a wounded comrade. His left elbow remained permanently disabled.
Towards the end of the summer, and before leaving for Harvard, Yoni married his long-time girlfriend Tuti. The ceremony was held at the newly liberated amphitheatre of the Hebrew
University at Mount Scopus, which overlooks the Judean Desert. The newly wed couple left
shortly afterwards for Boston.
While Yoni enjoyed his studies at Harvard, in which he excelled, he felt increasingly that his
place was not there. Israel was in the midst of fighting a “War of Attrition” against Egypt and
Jordan and of combating terrorism in its towns and cities. At such a time, Yoni believed, he
should be in his homeland, near the site of battle. And so in the summer of 1968, he and Tuti
returned to Israel. They enrolled at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where Yoni studied
mathematics and philosophy.
Return to the service - The "Unit"
Although he was now in Israel, Yoni felt that he had to do more than just live in Israel, especially
when the army was desperately looking for experienced officers. Both his brothers had by then
returned to Israel, and Benjamin (Bibi) had become a veteran soldier in Israelʼs elite commando
unit, Sayeret Matkal (known briefly as “the Unit”). Yoni applied for membership in the same unit.
He was immediately accepted and assumed the command of a squad. His remarkable abilities,
as well as his future potential, were soon recognized by the commander of the Unit. He decided
to send Yoni to another elite unit, Sayeret Haruv, to gain further experience there as company
commander. After half a year with Sayeret Haruv in the Jordan Valley, where Yoni saw action,
he returned to Sayeret Matkal in late 1970, to serve as company commander. By that time his
youngest brother, Iddo, had joined the Unit as well, and thus for nearly two years all three
brothers served in the same unit. In the summer of 1972 Yoni was promoted to deputy
commander of Sayeret Matkal.
Only two operations Yoni took part are disclosed. One occurred in the summer of 1972, when
Yoni led the hijacking of high-ranking Syrian Officers from Lebanon. These officers were later
exchanged for Israeli pilots in Syrian jail. The other was the raid on the PLO leaders in Beirut, in
the spring of 1973.
During the summer months of 1973, Yoni, by then a major, took a short leave of absence from
the army in order to study once more at Harvard. He and Tuti were already divorced. During the
summer, Yoni was able to spend time with his brother Bibi, who was then a graduate student at
MIT, Boston, and with his parents, who were living in Ithaca, NY, where Prof. Netanyahu
headed the department of Semitic Studies at Cornell University.
Yom Kippur War to Entebbe
With the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War on October 6, 1973. Yoni immediately returned to his
old unit, Sayeret Matkal, and was put in charge of a force that fought on the Golan Heights. The
most noted of the battles Yoni commanded during the war was the one against a Syrian
commando force. The Syrians landed by helicopter near the main command-post of the Israeli
army on the Golan Heights, intent apparently on capturing it. Upon learning of the landing, Yoni
moved swiftly with his available troops and engaged the Syrians. Despite the advantage the
Syrians had at the outset of the battle, having taken cover on the rocky terrain of the Golan
Heights, Yoniʼs exposed force of some 30 or so men managed to defeat and rout the Syrians,
who numbered at least 40. During the battle Yoniʼs force lost two of its men.
A second operation of Yoni during that war was the rescue of Lt. Col. Yossi Ben Hanan, a
brigade commander of the armored corps, who was lying wounded behind enemy lines. For
these and his other achievements during the war, Yoni was awarded a distinguished service
medal.
Shortly after the war, Yoni joined the armored brigade, which had lost many officers and men
during the Yom Kippur War. He graduated from armor school, as usual with honors, and was
stationed as company commander in the heavily bombarded “Syrian enclave”. Less than two
months later he was given charge of a brigade – the “Reshef” brigade – that had been
decimated during the war. Within months, his brigade came to be considered the number one
armored unit on the Golan.
In June 1975, Yoni left his armored brigade to become commander of Sayeret Matkal. During
his year of command there, he was in charge of many operations. Of these, all but one remain
secret –the raid on Entebbe, where he met his death.
On June 27 an Air France airliner, whose flight originated in Israel, was hijacked over Europe by
Arab and German gunmen. The plane eventually landed in Entebbe, Uganda, where President
Idi Amin was waiting for the terrorists and received them with open arms. The hostages were
kept captive at the Old Terminal of the Entebbe International Airport, held under guard by the
terrorists and by a contingent of Ugandan soldiers. The terrorists warned, that if their demands
to release from jail more than fifty terrorists were not met, the hostages would be killed.
On July 1, Yoni received orders to plan and prepare his unit for the mission to Entebbe. His
unitʼs part in the raid was to take over the Old Terminal complex – namely to kill the terrorists,
free the hostages, fight the Ugandan soldiers stationed there, and prevent any Ugandan
reinforcements from reaching the area while the hostages and other troops were being flown
out. Yoni quickly sat down with a few of his officers and drew up a preliminary plan. Within hours
a fake “terminal” was built from canvas, and the unit started preparing and rehearsing for the
raid. As new information came in, Yoni made some revisions in his plan. During the following
hectic day of further planning and preparations, Yoni met with Defense Minister Shimon Peres,
who summoned him to his office for a tete-a-tete meeting to ask him what he thought were the
chances of success. Yoni answered with a firm affirmative, and explained why he thought so. By
the following night, the unit was ready for a “grand rehearsal”, which was conducted before the
Chief of Staff. Following this, the Chief of Staff held a talk – primarily with Yoni, but also with
some other officers of the Israeli force – in order to hear what they thought were the chances of
success. At the end of the talk, the Chief of Staff informed them that he had decided to give the
go-ahead.
At noon the following day, Saturday July 3, the Israeli government under Yitzhak Rabin met in
special session. After hearing the Chief of Staffʼs presentation, the ministers engaged in a long
debate and finally, by unanimous vote, approved the mission.
The Israeli force of four Hercules transport planes took off from Sharm El Sheikh, at the
southern tip of the Sinai Desert, heading for Africa. The Unitʼs force was flown in three of these
planes, with the lead plane carrying Yoni and his initial assault party of 29 men. At the stroke of
midnight, Ugandan time, on July 4, 1976, the first plane landed at Entebbe airport. Yoni and his
men, driving in a Mercedes and two Landrovers, which were meant to simulate a Ugandan
force, got off the plane and proceeded to the Old Terminal, where the hostages were held.
Contact was soon made with Ugandan soldiers. A brief battle developed with the Ugandans and
the terrorists, following which the terrorists in the building were killed and the hostages freed.
During the battle, Yoni was hit in the chest, as he ran forward, and lay critically wounded outside
the main hall where the hostages were held.
The efforts of the medical team to revive Yoni were of no avail, and he died at the entrance to
the evacuation plane, as the hostages were being herded inside. Yoni was the only man of the
rescue force to die. (Three out of the 106 hostages were killed during the exchange of fire and a
fourth was later murdered by Idi Aminʼs men.) Yoniʼs body was placed inside the plane, which
then took off to safety in Kenya. From there it proceeded to Israel. Only a few of the hostages
may have realized that the fallen soldier lying at the front of their plane was the commander of
the force responsible for saving them.
Yoni was buried on Mt. Herzl, alongside the grave of David Elazar, Chief of Staff during the Yom
Kippur War. Thousands attended Yoniʼs funeral. Yoniʼs name, until then virtually unknown
beyond the army, became famous throughout Israel overnight. His deeds, and his thoughts and
reflections – brought to light in his posthumous and bestselling book of letters – remain a source
of inspiration for many in his country and around the globe.
Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu
www.netanyahu.org
Benjamin Netanyahu was born in 1949 in Tel Aviv and grew up in Jerusalem. He spent his high
school years in the US, where his father, historian Benzion Netanyahu, was doing research.
Returning to Israel in 1967, Mr. Netanyahu enlisted in the IDF and served in an elite commando
unit, Sayeret Matkal. He took part in a number of military operations, including the rescue of
hostages in a high-jacked Sabena airplane in 1972. In the same year, he was cited for
outstanding operational leadership by the late Major General Motta Gur. Discharged from the
IDF in 1972, Mr. Netanyahu participated in the Yom Kippur War and reached the rank of
captain.
Mr. Netanyahu received a B.Sc. degree in architecture and a M.Sc. in business management
from MIT. He also studied political science at MIT and Harvard University.
Between 1976 and 1982 Mr. Netanyahu worked in the private sector, first with the Boston
Consulting Group, an international business consultancy, and then in a senior management
position at Rim Industries Ltd.
In 1979 and 1984 Mr. Netanyahu initiated two international conferences that emphasized the
need to fight terrorist organizations and regimes that provide them support. US Secretary of
State George Schultz wrote that Mr. Netanyahu's social activism and books had a decisive
influence in shaping American policy on international terrorism.
In 1982 Mr. Netanyahu assumed the position of deputy chief of mission at the Israeli Embassy
in Washington, DC. In 1984 he was appointed Israel's ambassador to the UN, a position in
which he served for four years. During this time he became renowned as a tireless champion of
Israel's cause in the international arena. As such, he led the effort for declassification of the
United Nations archive on crimes committed by Nazi Germany.
Returning to Israel in 1988, Mr. Netanyahu was elected to the Knesset on the Likud party list
and was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. During the Gulf War he served as Israel's
principal representative in the international arena. In 1991, he was a senior member of the
Israeli delegation to the Madrid peace conference and as such, participated in the first strategic
cooperation program between Israel and the US.
In 1993 Mr. Netanyahu was elected Likud party chairman and served as head of opposition until
his election to Prime Minister of Israel in 1996.
During his term as Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu implemented policy that combined fighting
terror with advancement of the peace process. Its cornerstone was the conclusion of wellmeasured agreements with the Palestinians that insisted on reciprocity. During his three year
term the number of terror attacks drastically decreased.
In the economic realm, Mr. Netanyahu led the liberalization of foreign currency regulations,
accelerated privatization of government-owned companies and reduced budget deficit. During
his term in office, the scope of foreign investment in Israeli high-tech industry reached billions of
dollars per year.
After the completion of his term as Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu served as a business
consultant to Israeli high-tech companies and was a popular speaker on the global lecture
circuit.
In 2002 Mr. Netanyahu returned to politics, first as Minister of Foreign Affairs and then, in the
course of 2003, as Minister of Finance. He initiated policies that encouraged growth by reducing
the public sector and strengthened the private sector. They included the reduction of
government expenses, tax cuts, transition from welfare to work, breakup of monopolies,
resumption of privatization and introduction of pension reform. These steps, praised by the US
administration, credit rating companies and the IMF, put an end to economic decline, lowered
unemployment and spurred growth. An Israeli economy that was shrinking by about 1% each
year starting in 2001 grew by 4.2% in 2004.
Mr. Netanyahu has written a number of books that appeared in Hebrew and English, with some
also translated into Russian, French, Arabic, Japanese and other languages:
Self-portrait of a Hero: The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu (1963-1976) – editor, together with
brother Ido Netanyahu (1978)
International Terrorism: Challenge and Response – editor (1979)
Terrorism: How the West Can Win – editor (1987)
A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations (1992)
Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorism (1996)
Mr. Netanyahu is married to Sara, a psychologist, and is a father of three. The Netanyahu family
lives in Jerusalem
Shimon Peres
www.nobelprize.org
Shimon Peres (Labour), Minister of Foreign Affairs, was born in Poland in 1923 and immigrated
with his family as a child. He studied at the Ben Shemen Agricultural School, and was one of the
founders of Kibbutz Alumot in the Jordan Valley. In 1943, he was elected secretary of the
Hano'ar Ha'oved youth.
In Israel's War of Independence, Mr. Peres was responsible for arms
purchases and recruitment, and in 1948 was appointed head of the naval services. In 1949, he
headed the Defense Ministry's procurement delegation to the United States.
Mr. Peres was
appointed Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Defense in 1952 and served as its
Director-General between 1953-1959.
Mr. Peres has been a Member of the Knesset since 1959
and served as Deputy Minister of Defense from 1959-1965. In 1965, he left the Mapai Labour
Party with Ben-Gurion and became Secretary-General of Rafi. In 1968, he was instrumental in
bringing Rafi back to Mapai to form the Israel Labour Party.
Mr. Peres became Minister of
Immigrant Absorption in 1969 and served as Minister of Transport and Communications from
1970-1974. In 1974 he was appointed Minister of Information and later, Minister of Defense
(1974-1977). The highlight of his tenure as Defense Minister was the Entebbe rescue
operation.
In 1977, Mr. Peres was elected chairman of the Labour Alignment. In 1984, a National
Unity Government was formed, and he served first as its Prime Minister (1984-1986), and then
as Vice Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs (1986-1988). During his term as Prime Minister,
Israel withdrew from Lebanon and an economic stabilization plan was implemented.
In 1978, Mr.
Peres was elected Vice-President of the Socialist International.
In the National Unity government
(1988-1990), Shimon Peres served as Vice Premier and Minister of Finance. From 1990-1992,
he led the opposition in the Knesset.
Mr. Peres began his second tenure as Israel's Minister of
Foreign Affairs on July 13, 1992 with the establishment of the new, Labour-led government.
Shimon Peres has authoured the following books: The Next Step (1965); David's Sling (1970);
And Now Tomorrow (1978); From These Men (1979):;Entebbe Diary (1991); The New Middle
East (1993); Battling for Peace (1995). He has written hundreds of articles and essays.
Shimon
Peres is married to Sonya (nee Gelman); they have two sons and a daughter - and six
grandchildren.
From Les Prix Nobel. The Nobel Prizes 1994, Editor Tore Frängsmyr, [Nobel Foundation],
Stockholm, 1995
This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and later published in the
book series Les Prix Nobel/Nobel Lectures. The information is sometimes updated with an
addendum submitted by the Laureate.
Ehud Barak
www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org
Ehud Barak was born in 1942 in Kibbutz Mishmar Hasharon.
He joined the Israel Defense Forces in 1959, and served as a soldier and commander of an elite
unit, and in various other command positions including Tank Brigade Commander and Armored
Division Commander, and General Staff positions, including Head of the IDF Intelligence
Branch. During the 1967 Six-Day War, Barak served as a reconnaissance group commander,
and in the 1973 Yom Kippur War as a tank battalion commander on the southern front in Sinai.
In January 1982, he was appointed Head of the IDF Planning Branch and promoted to Major
General. During the 1982 “Peace for Galilee” operation, Major General Barak served as Deputy
Commander of the Israeli force in Lebanon.
In April 1983, Maj.Gen. Barak was appointed Head of the Intelligence Branch at the IDF General
Headquarters. In January 1986, he was appointed Commander of the IDF Central Command,
and in May 1987 was appointed Deputy Chief-of-Staff.
In April 1991, he assumed the post of the 14th Chief of the General Staff and was promoted to
the rank of Lt. General, the highest in the Israeli military.
Following the May 1994 signing of the Gaza-Jericho agreement with the Palestinians, Lt.
General Barak oversaw the IDF's redeployment in the Gaza Strip and Jericho. He played a
central role in finalizing the peace treaty with Jordan, signed in 1994, and met with his Syrian
counterpart as part of the Syrian-Israeli negotiations. General Barak was awarded the
"Distinguished Service Medal" and four other citations for courage and operational excellence.
Barak holds a B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem
(1976), and an M.Sc. in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford University, California
(1978). He served as Minister of the Interior from July-November 1995 and as Minister of
Foreign Affairs from November 1995 until June 1996. Elected to the Knesset in 1996, he served
as a Member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. In 1996, Barak was
elected Chairman of the Labor Party and in 1999 formed the One Israel Party from the Labor,
Gesher and Meimad factions.
Barak was elected Prime Minister of Israel on May 17, 1999. He presented his government to
the Knesset on July 6, 1999, assuming office as Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. He
completed his term on March 7, 2001, following his defeat by Ariel Sharon in the February
special election for prime minister.
In June 2007, Ehud Barak was elected to head the Labor Party, and was subsequently
appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. He was appointed Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Defense in the Netanyahu government in March 2009.
In January 2011, Barak formed a breakaway party with other Labor Party legislators called
Atzmaut (Independence). He is married and the father of three children.
Tirza “Tutti” Goodman
www.wikipedia.org
Yoni married long-time girlfriend Tuti on August 17, 1967. Shortly after their wedding, they flew
to the U.S., where Yoni enrolled at Harvard University. He took classes in philosophy and
mathematics, excelling in both (Hastings, 1979) and was on the Dean's List at the end of his first
year. However, feeling restless at being away from Israel, especially with Israel skirmishing
against Egypt during the War of Attrition, Yoni transferred to Jerusalem's Hebrew University in
1968. In early 1969, he left his studies and returned to the army.
In 1972, he and Tuti were divorced. Netanyahu was living with his girlfriend of two years, Bruria,
at the time of his death.
Bruria Shaked Okun
www.wikipedia.org
Netanyahu was living with his girlfriend of two years, Bruria, at the time of his death.