Yonatan 'Yoni' Netanyahu (1946–1976) was an Israeli military officer and national hero, the older brother of future Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the eldest son of Israeli historian and professor Benzion Netanyahu. Born on March 13, 1946, in New York City, United States, he spent much of his youth in the United States, attending high school there, before returning to Israel. He joined the Israel Defense Forces in 1964, volunteering for the Paratroopers Brigade, where he excelled in officer training and rose to command a paratroopers company. By 1975, he had taken command of the elite IDF Sayeret Matkal unit, Israel's premier counter-terrorism special forces unit, marked by exceptional leadership and combat prowess. On July 4, 1976, during Operation Entebbe—a daring Israeli raid to rescue hostages held by Palestinian and German militants in Uganda supported by dictator Idi Amin—Netanyahu was killed in action as the commander of Sayeret Matkal, the only Israeli soldier to die in the successful operation that freed 102 of 106 hostages. His death cemented his status as a symbol of heroism and sacrifice in Israel.