Specifications:
Year: 1976
Metal: Bronze
Fineness: Tombac
Weight: 98 gr
Diameter: 59.0 mm
Mintage: Only 42,057 medals made!
Designers: Rothschild and Lippman, The Shamir Brothers.
Operation Jonathan
State Medal, 5736-1976
On June 27, 1976, terrorists took over an "Air France" plane, flying the Tel-Aviv to Paris route, and forced the pilot to land the plane at an old hanger in Entebbe, Uganda.
There the plane was met by Ugandan soldiers, as well as terrorists of 'The Front for the Liberation of Palestine", armed to the teeth and carrying quantities of explosives.
The 246 passengers were locked into a dusty building.
The terrorists demanded that 53 terrorists, tried and sentenced, should be delivered to them in exchange for the imprisoned passengers.
They set a deadline at the end of which the hostages were to pay with their lives, if their demands were not met.
The Government of Israel resolved not to succumb to terror, but to liberate the hostages by a daring military operation.
On 3rd July, after all diplomatic efforts failed, and the deadline of the ultimatum was near, a task force departed by plane the flight lasting several hours, to a destination 4,000 kms away from Israel.
In a lightning strike, the terrorists were killed amid a hail of fire exchanged with the Ugandan forces and the hostages were whisked away to the waiting Israeli planes.
In the exchange of fire, Colonel Jonathan Natanyahu, commander of the task force, was wounded and died.
The Entebbe rescue operation was later named after him - "The Jonathan Operation".
Obverse:
The IDF emblem with the olive branch entwined around the silhouette of an air force plane. A legend: "Operation Jonathan 6Tamuz 5736" in Hebrew. The English translation bearing the date "4th July, 1976".
Reverse:
The verse: "He sent from above and took me" (Psalm 18:17) in Hebrew and in English.
Edge:
The State emblem and the words "State of Israel" in Hebrew and in English.
Serialization:
All the medals are numbered. Bronze - numbered 43810; melted 1713.
This specificmedal is serial numbered 8146.
Designer:
Obverse - Rothschild and Lippman ("Roli").
Reverse - The Shamir Brothers.
Engraving: Moshe Nov.
Mint: 59mm Bronze - 34,357 minted by Hecht. 9,453 minted by Kretschmer. Total 43,810 medals, 1713 melted.
What you see is what you get - I did not use any stock photos for this listing.
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The combined shipping policy is relevant ONLY for PINS, WINGS, SAMPLE SLABS, COINS, ELONGATED COINS, TOKENS, MEDALS, and other SMALL ITEMS, is the full price for the auction with the highest shipping cost and then one additional dollar ($1) for each additional auction won.
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Sandy