Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story

Lt. Col. Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu was the only member of the Israeli commando force killed in the 1976 raid that rescued the hostages being held at Uganda's Entebbe Airport. Jonathan Gruber and Ari Daniel Pinchot's documentary offers a glowing tribute to the man whose death at age 30 robbed the world of a complex and passionate figure. Drawing on Netanyahu's remarkably eloquent letters and notebook entries, the film details the intellectual evolution of a committed Zionist who saw the defense of Israel as his life's mission. His nationalism ultimately overruled other professional and personal goals—Netanyahu walked away from a Harvard scholarship and dissolved a happy marriage to concentrate on his work with Israel's military, ultimately serving with great valor in the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War, becoming a national hero. His leadership at Entebbe produced an astonishing victory against Palestinian terrorists. The filmmakers conduct a series of interviews with those closest to him, including his ex-wife and his younger brother, current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But even though these recollections sometimes veer into hagiography, this is a fine testimonial to one of Israel's most beloved military figures. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)