Entebbe
Entebbe by Yehuda Gottlieb and Ester Gottlieb Smith – back cover
EntebbeEntebbe by Yehuda Gottlieb and Ester Gottlieb Smith – back cover

Entebbe

Diary of a Hostage
New Release
Yehuda Gottlieb and Ester Gottlieb SmithSKU: 7864-33
“A simply riveting read from cover to cover.”
Midwest Book Review
Binding Type: Hard Cover
Price:
78.00 NIS

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What was it like to wait for rescue, not knowing whether freedom or death would come first?

On June 27, 1976, Air France Flight 139 was hijacked and diverted to Entebbe Airport in Uganda. For eight days, more than one hundred hostages were held under armed guard while the world watched and negotiations unfolded. Among them was Yehuda Gottlieb, who kept a diary as the events happened.

Unlike memoirs written years later, Gottlieb’s account captures captivity in real time: the crowded terminal, the strain of waiting, Idi Amin’s appearances, and the small ways ordinary people held each other up while facing the possibility of death.

Fifty years later, his daughter, Ester Smith, has translated and prepared the diary for publication, preserving a rare firsthand record of the Entebbe crisis.

More than the story of Operation Thunderbolt, the legendary rescue mission, this is the human story of the people who waited for it.

BindingHard Cover
Pages80
Published2026
ISBN-139789657864333
Weight430 g

Fifty years after Entebbe, Yehuda Gottlieb’s impactful journal amplifies the legend and legacy of that historic operation, shedding light on the courage and resilience demonstrated not only by the rescuers, but by the hostages themselves. In the context of the heroism demanded of our many hostages from October 7, 2023, Yehuda’s story resonates even deeper, reminding us of the timeless challenges our people face – and our enduring ability to meet them.
Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel

“A valuable work documenting a terrorist attack that ended with a heroic rescue.”
Gila Wertheimer, Jewish Book Council

A rare and authentic testimony of the days of captivity in Operation Entebbe, written in real time.… This is not merely a personal story, but a document of profound historical significance – a living, authentic voice from within the hostage experience.
Sorin Hershko, Entebbe hero; co-founder, LOTEM–Making Nature Accessible

A cultural treasure, offering a rare, personal glimpse into Operation Entebbe and completing a crucial piece of its historical puzzle.
Avner Avraham, former Mossad operative; deputy editor, Intelligence Heritage Center

Written in captivity, this remarkable diary reveals the fear, resilience, and humanity of the hostages – culminating in the moment Israeli soldiers burst into the terminal, calling out in Hebrew, “We’ve come to take you home.”
Gadi Ilan, former Israeli soldier, participant in the Entebbe rescue operation

Unique, exceptional, authentic, emotionally compelling… an especially and unreservedly recommended pick… Providing a rare ‘you are there’ resonance for the reader, Entebbe: Diary of a Hostage is a simply riveting read from cover to cover.
Midwest Book Review, Reviewer’s Bookwatch, October 2026

A gripping, dramatic, personal, and emotional account of one of the most exciting hostage crises of the 20th century.… A historical document and human story, a testament to courage and the human capacity to remain hopeful in the face of extreme danger.
Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin, The Jerusalem Post Magazine

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