This is probably going to be the strangest story you’ll hear about Israel and Iran.
In 1976, the Supreme Commander of Iran sent a condolence letter to the Mossad station chief in Tehran. The letter praised the Entebbe raid and called Yoni Netanyahu, who was killed on the mission, a “martyr.” The Times of Israel reports:
Written to Reuven Merhav, the Mossad station chief at the time, it begins in mid-sentence. “Well planned and flash executed impetuous operation of the Antebbe [sic] Airport in Uganda, by the brave Israeli commandos, saved the lives of a number of defenseless people who had been trapped in the grab of Air route bandits, aimed at persuing [sic] their defiled and unhuman goals and ended the adventure, alerting International Terrorism to think about the grievous consequences of their unwise and cruel attempts.”
The unsigned letter continues: “Kindly convey my sincere greetings and admiration for successful accomplishmont [sic] of this valuable military and intelligence operation along with sympathies and condolences for the loss and martyrdom of the her” – here the letter is severed, perhaps cutting the word heroic – “unit commander dispatched to the scene to your respective chief.”
Admittedly, this was three years before the Islamic Revolution occurred and since then… Well, we all know what it’s been like since then. Still, it is a remarkable piece of history that was recently put on display.
Read the full story here.
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.