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Mivtsa Yonatan (film)
Encyclopedia
Operation Thunderbolt, known in Israel
as Mivtsa Yonatan (מבצע יונתן, literally "Operation Jonathan"), is an Academy Award–nominated Israeli film from 1977
based on an actual event; Operation Entebbe
and the freeing of hostages at Entebbe Airport in Kampala
, Uganda
, on July 4, 1976. The film was directed by Menahem Golan
and starred Klaus Kinski
, Yehoram Gaon
, and Sybil Danning
.
flight from Tel Aviv
to Paris
via Athens
was hijacked by four terrorists
, two of whom are West Germans
named Wilfried Boese
(Klaus Kinski
) and Halima (Sybil Danning
), and the other two are Palestinians
. After landing to refuel in Libya, the four hijackers force the plane to take off and to land thousands of miles away at the airport in Entebbe
, Uganda
, at the invitation of the Uganian leader Idi Amin
(Mark Heath). The two Germans and two Arab hijackers are joined at the Entebbe Airport by at least three more Palestinine terrorists. The Jewish passengers are separated and held hostage in demand to release many terrorists
held in Israeli prisons. After much debate, the Israeli government
sent an elite commando unit, under the command of Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu (Yehoram Gaon
), to raid the airfield and release the hostages. The film is based on fact and follows the events following the flight's takeoff until the hostages' return to Israel
.
and the Israeli government
. The film features original footage of prominent politicians such as Yitzhak Rabin
, Shimon Peres
and Yigal Allon
. The exterior scenes set in Uganda
were photographed near Eilat, Israel
. The scenes featuring the Knesset
were filmed in Jerusalem, and the Tel Aviv
airport sequences were filmed at Ben Gurion International Airport
.
The film was shot a second time in an all-English version for the international market.
In 1986, Menahem Golan
produced and directed The Delta Force
, a film to which Mivtsa Yonatan is very similar. In fact, Golan re-used many actors from Mivtsa Yonatan in The Delta Force
.
and was somewhat successful overseas. In 1978
it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
as Mivtsa Yonatan (מבצע יונתן, literally "Operation Jonathan"), is an Academy Award–nominated Israeli film from 1977
1977 in film
The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network....
based on an actual event; Operation Entebbe
Operation Entebbe
Operation Entebbe was a counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by the Special Forces of the Israel Defense Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on 4 July 1976. A week earlier, on 27 June, an Air France plane with 248 passengers was hijacked by Palestinian and German terrorists and...
and the freeing of hostages at Entebbe Airport in Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, on July 4, 1976. The film was directed by Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan is an Israeli director and producer. He has produced movies for such stars as Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson, and was known for a period as a producer of comic book-style movies like Masters of the Universe, Superman IV:...
and starred Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
, Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon is a Jewish Israeli singer, actor, director, producer, TV and radio host, and public figure...
, and Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
.
Synopsis
In July 1976, an Air FranceAir France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
flight from Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
via Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
was hijacked by four terrorists
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, two of whom are West Germans
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
named Wilfried Boese
Wilfried Böse
Wilfried Böse was a founding member of the left-wing German militant group Revolutionary Cells. He led the 1976 hijacking of Air France Flight 139 to Entebbe, Uganda, where he famously told a Jewish passenger who showed him his Auschwitz tattoo "I'm no Nazi! .....
(Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
) and Halima (Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
), and the other two are Palestinians
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
. After landing to refuel in Libya, the four hijackers force the plane to take off and to land thousands of miles away at the airport in Entebbe
Entebbe
Entebbe is a major town in Central Uganda. Located on a Lake Victoria peninsula, the town was at one time, the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda, prior to Independence in 1962...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, at the invitation of the Uganian leader Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
(Mark Heath). The two Germans and two Arab hijackers are joined at the Entebbe Airport by at least three more Palestinine terrorists. The Jewish passengers are separated and held hostage in demand to release many terrorists
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
held in Israeli prisons. After much debate, the Israeli government
Politics of Israel
The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Knesset. The Judiciary is independent of the executive...
sent an elite commando unit, under the command of Colonel Yonatan Netanyahu (Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon is a Jewish Israeli singer, actor, director, producer, TV and radio host, and public figure...
), to raid the airfield and release the hostages. The film is based on fact and follows the events following the flight's takeoff until the hostages' return to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Cast
- Yehoram GaonYehoram GaonYehoram Gaon is a Jewish Israeli singer, actor, director, producer, TV and radio host, and public figure...
- Col. Yonatan Netanyahu - Gila AlmagorGila AlmagorGila Almagor is an Israeli actress, film star, and author.-Biography:Gila Almagor was born four months after the death of her father, Max Alexandrowitz, a Jewish immigrant from Germany who was killed by an Arab sniper while working as a policeman in Haifa...
- Nurit Aviv - Assi DayanAssi DayanAsaf "Assi" Dayan is an Israeli film director, actor, screenwriter and producer.-Personal life:Assi Dayan is the youngest son of Israeli general and minister of defence Moshe Dayan and peace activist Ruth Dayan . He has two siblings: politician and author Yael Dayan, born 1939, and sculptor Ehud ...
- Shuki (as Assaf Dayan) - Klaus KinskiKlaus KinskiKlaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
- Wilfried Boese - Sybil DanningSybil DanningSybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
- Halima - Arik LavieArik LavieArik Lavie was an Israeli actor and Pop-Rock-Folk singer.His career started in the military band of the Palmach, in 1945. Since then, he participated in many theater plays and some movies Arik Lavie (Hebrew: אריק לביא, born in 1927, Leipzig, died in 2004, Petah Tikva) was an Israeli actor and...
- Gen. Dan ShomronDan ShomronGen. Dan Shomron was the 13th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, from 1987 to 1991.... - Shmuel Rodensky - Family representative
- Shaike Ophir - Gadi Arnon (as Shai K. Ophir)
- Reuven Bar-Yotam - Ben-David
- Gabi Amrani - (as Gaby Amrani)
- Mark Heath - Idi Amin DadaIdi AminIdi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
- Henry Czarniak - Michel BacosMichel BacosMichel Bacos was captain of Air France Flight 139 when the plane was hijacked on June 27, 1976, by Palestinian and German terrorists...
- Rolf Eden - Co-Pilot
- Shoshana Shani - Alma Raviv
- Oded Teomi - Dan Zamir
Production
The film was produced with the co-operation of the Israeli Air ForceIsraeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
and the Israeli government
Politics of Israel
The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the Knesset. The Judiciary is independent of the executive...
. The film features original footage of prominent politicians such as Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
, Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
and Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon
Yigal Allon was an Israeli politician, a commander of the Palmach, and a general in the IDF. He served as one of the leaders of Ahdut HaAvoda party and the Israeli Labor party, and acting Prime Minister of Israel, and was a member of the Knesset and government minister from the 10th through the...
. The exterior scenes set in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
were photographed near Eilat, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The scenes featuring the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
were filmed in Jerusalem, and the Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
airport sequences were filmed at Ben Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport , also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag , is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel, handling 12,160,339 passengers in 2010...
.
The film was shot a second time in an all-English version for the international market.
In 1986, Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan
Menahem Golan is an Israeli director and producer. He has produced movies for such stars as Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Charles Bronson, and was known for a period as a producer of comic book-style movies like Masters of the Universe, Superman IV:...
produced and directed The Delta Force
The Delta Force (film)
The Delta Force is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin as leaders of an elite squad of Special Forces troops based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. It was directed by Menahem Golan and featured Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Robert Vaughn, Steve James, Robert...
, a film to which Mivtsa Yonatan is very similar. In fact, Golan re-used many actors from Mivtsa Yonatan in The Delta Force
The Delta Force (film)
The Delta Force is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin as leaders of an elite squad of Special Forces troops based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. It was directed by Menahem Golan and featured Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Robert Vaughn, Steve James, Robert...
.
Critical response
The film was well received in its native IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and was somewhat successful overseas. In 1978
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.