ENTEBBE, Uganda
President Yoweri Museveni has hosted Gilbert Weill, a survivor of the 1976 Entebbe Airport hijacking, along with his family and friends at State House Entebbe, in a visit that revisited one of the most dramatic events in aviation history.
The meeting took place nearly 50 years after the hijacking of an Air France flight that ended in a high-profile rescue operation at Entebbe Airport, an event that remains a significant chapter in Uganda’s history and international relations.
According to State House, Weill and his delegation toured the old Entebbe Airport terminal, where many of the events surrounding the hijacking unfolded in June and July 1976. This visit also provided an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of the incident and Uganda’s transformation over the past five decades.
During the meeting, President Museveni and his guests discussed the historical significance of the Entebbe operation, which saw Israeli commandos rescue more than 100 hostages who had been held at the airport after an Air France plane was hijacked by militants and diverted to Uganda.
The operation, commonly known as the Entebbe Raid or Operation Entebbe, drew global attention and remains one of the most famous hostage rescue missions ever carried out.
State House said discussions also focused on the progress Uganda has made since the 1970s, particularly in areas such as infrastructure, security, investment and regional cooperation.
The visit further explored opportunities for stronger ties between Uganda, Israel and European countries, with participants reflecting on how historical connections can help build future partnerships in trade, tourism, technology and investment.
Gilbert Weill was among the passengers caught up in the hijacking crisis that unfolded under the government of former Ugandan president Idi Amin. His return to Entebbe decades later offered a rare personal perspective on an event that shaped international perceptions of Uganda during that era.
The visit comes as Uganda prepares to mark 50 years since the Entebbe rescue operation, an anniversary expected to attract renewed interest from historians, survivors, researchers and governments connected to the incident.
For Weill and his family, the journey was both a remembrance of a traumatic chapter in history and an opportunity to witness the changes that have taken place in Uganda since then.
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