Operation Thunderbolt - David's Nightmare and Redemption (97)

The IDF arranged a film crew to film the hostages' arrival in Ternov for future generations: from the moment the plane landed to the bus leaving. In the secret film released in 2010, many hostages waved or gave the camera a thumbs up; The other hostages looked disheveled and overwhelmed. On one bus, they can be seen celebrating their return to Israel with a unique bell-shaped bottle sipping chocolate-orange juice-flavored Sabrali.

In the hangar, the hostages found a huge table, about 60 feet long, piled high with fruit, cakes, toast, coffee and drinks. Agnès swallowed a bunch of grapes and laughed while crying. Willie ate two slices of toast and ten peaches. Then Yitzhak Rabin and Simon Perez came here and spoke to some of them. The Minister of Defense walked up to Agnès and Maggie and asked in stuttering French, "Are you happy that the Israelites have rescued you?" Did the raid last a long time? ”

"No, no," replied Agnès. "Very fast."

"Was the whole process going well?"

They both hesitated at the thought of Jean Jacques and the other dead and wounded, and then Maggie replied, "Not everyone is good for us. ”

After a while, Perez spoke a few words in Hebrew to all the French hostages, and someone translated them. "We are very happy to bring you here, and after all the difficulties, we finally rescued you," he said. Once you return to France, you can tell as much of your experience as you want. But we now ask you — the only thanks we can expect — to remain completely silent about what has happened since the arrival of the Israeli soldiers. Please treat this as a military secret, you have no right to talk about it. ”

To Willie, this requirement seemed superfluous. However, he agreed that Perez had subsequently made a special mention of the Airbus crew, and everyone in the room applauded them.

The only embarrassing moment came when Emma Rosenkovich, who had returned earlier with her two children on a Boeing 707 plane, spoke with Rabin and Perez. "Thank you for all that you've done," she said. "I hope you have the same success in the peace process."

Rabin was enraged by the taunt, and he frowned and strode away. Perez's attitude is milder. "Don't worry," he said, patting Emma on the shoulder, "we'll do it." ”

Soon after, the hostages were re-boarded on the bus and returned to Hercules 4, during which time the plane had been "emptied, cleaned and cleared", followed by a short 15-minute flight to Ben-Gurion. While waiting to retake the plane, they saw another C-130 transport plane land and were told it had also participated in the operation. That's "Hercules 1". It was 10:29 a.m.

A few minutes later, as the hostages took off for Ben-Gurion, the vips were welcoming the returning soldiers aboard Hercules 1. Rabin and Perez shook hands with the soldiers as they disembarked from the side doors. When Betzer showed up, Perez asked him, "How did Joni die?" ”

"The first charge, the first to fall." Betzer said.

Rabin left his warmest welcome to pilot Joshua Shani, who was hugged tightly for a long time. "Thank you," the prime minister said.

Finally, the black Mercedes was driven away by Amizur Caffrey who stepped back from Hercules. The car was packed with "secret force" soldiers eager to return to the base as soon as possible. Betzer and the others had to wait for the helicopter to arrive. As they waited, the last two Hercules transport planes landed, and Rabin and Perez made brief remarks to most of the soldiers who took part in the operation, thanking them for their efforts. Rabin spoke "like an army commander"; Perez spoke of the soldiers' "contribution to the fight against international terrorism."

A few hours later, as soon as all the soldiers of the "secret force" returned to the base, Yoni's successor, Amiram Levine, held a debriefing meeting. Usually, this will only involve those involved in the action. But Levine decided to break the precedent and invite all the people at the base to participate. First the officers, then the squad commanders, and finally the soldiers report what they have seen and heard. The soldier who shot from the Land Rover explained that when he saw "Ugandans standing up and aiming at us", he was "worried about the safety of his own people" and decided to open fire.

That night, the "secret forces" did not celebrate the victory. Because even the casualties of one person proved that the performance of the troops was not in line with the plan. Betzel knew that in order to "maintain capability," the "secret forces" needed to learn from their mistakes. It was for this reason that he and the other combatants talked for a long time in the night, "discussing what had happened, and each of us, from our own point of view, tried to understand what went wrong on the night of the implementation of our most famous operation".

9:01 a.m. GMT, Lud, Israel

During the 15-minute flight to Ben-Gurion International Airport, the crew of Hercules 4 provided the hostages with a new set of clothing so that they could appear in the best condition when meeting their families and the media. Still draped in an Air France blanket, Isa got a new outfit: a pale green cotton pullover and skirt, and black sandals.

However, at Ben-Gurion Airport, the hostages were unprepared for the warm welcome they were about to receive. When the tail ramp of Hercules 4 descended to the ground, those closest to the ramp could see a large group of people threatening to break through the police cordon rushing towards them. Their voices were deafening: cheers, applause, singing, and even the whining of the horns.

The first hostages to leave the cabin were surrounded by supporters and the media, who asked questions while taking pictures. They broke away from the entanglement and walked towards the bus that would reunite them with their families. Agnès walked to a bus and she noticed a girl running out of the crowd, crying and shouting, "Judith! Judith! ”

The girl was the younger sister of a young married Israeli hostage who was slightly bruised by a bullet. As she walked over to Judith, she put her arm around her neck, and soon the other family members came too, and everyone was happy. Judith could not bear the sudden happiness, and she immediately fainted.

Willie held Isa's hand so they wouldn't be separated, and they ended up getting into a bus and being taken with the other hostages into a large building – half a hotel, half a barracks – and the rest of the family was there waiting. In a New York Times report, Terrance Smith wrote, "When these ragged, weary-looking hostages got off the bus, men and women began to scream with joy, waving their arms at each other, and the whole family stood there shaking, crying and hugging." There were old women with headscarves, young girls in slacks, and men who hadn't shaved for a week. ”

"When several political leaders arrived, the scene was almost chaotic. Rabin and Perez were surrounded by a jubilant crowd, and opposition leader Menachem Beckyn was carried on his shoulders, and then everyone walked with rhythmic cheers 'Becking!' Beckyn! Beckyn! ’”