FORTY years after Israeli commandos rescued Jewish hostages held at Entebbe Airport in Uganda, Australian Geoff Bloch relived childhood memories of his murdered great-aunt Dora Bloch, who he described as “cultured and hospitable”.
On her way from Tel Aviv to New York, the 75-year-old, an Israeli national and British citizen, and her son Ilan were among 248 passengers hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists on the Air France flight on June 27, 1976, while in the air between Athens and Paris.
While other passengers were freed over the next two days, 94 Jewish and Israeli passengers, and the 12-member airline crew, were held hostage, with support from then Ugandan president Idi Amin.
Dora Bloch was taken from the airport to a Kampala hospital after choking on food. She was left behind during the July 4 raid by Israeli commandos that freed 102 hostages and flew them to Israel. Three hostages were killed during the operation, as was Israeli commander Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
A fourth hostage would meet a cruel death. Dora Bloch was murdered by officers of the Ugandan army on orders from Amin, in revenge for the Israeli operation.
Read the story by Peter Kohn in the Australian Jewish News.