Benyamin Netanyahu's Brother: Jonathan's Letters (Book)

Israel's prime minister's brother's letters: to these who believe Netanyahu needs reminding of the horrors of terrorism. To everyone else, a peek at a life of a soldier.

Is Benyamin Netanyahu out of touch with the new reality of the Palestinians? What many do not remember is bibi's brother Jonathan. Yoni (Jonathan's nick name) lead the Israeli raid on terrorists holding Israelis in Entebbe (Uganda.) The raid by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is one of the most daring operation in the army's history. Yoni died in the Raid. This must have been Netanyahu's strongest personal impression of Israel's fight with terrorism. I can imagine how Benjamin Netanyahu's personal view of terrorism was shaped at an early age. Jonathan's Netayahu's letters are collected in a book: The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu: The Commander of the Entebbe Rescue Force (Amazon link)

Take a look at Jonathan Netanyahu's memorial site [HERE]. WikiPedia's operation Entebbe is also a good place to read about the operation and Jonathan [HERE]. Jonathan Netanyahu's letters are about life as a soldier and as a son and brother. He wrote to his family, bibi being the younger brother got his own personal letters. What the collection reveals is a life of a young man. His military life was not the only thing he wrote about. He wrote about his life as a student at Harvard. He wrote personal suggestions to bibi, his younger brother. He worried that bibi would not get enough sleep during his military exercises. He also gave bibi suggestions on how to be careful during a fight. As a military hero we would like to put all his other thoughts, dreams and desires aside. This is where we see a life in it's details. Herman Wouk (The Caine Mutiny: A Novel) compared Jonathan Netanyahu's letters to Ann Frank's diary. Written without any intention of publication, yet intimate and completely honest. I love this comparison, although, it is hard to compare the Holocaust experience to the terrorist attacks, Yoni's letters are still a sensitive peek into a life we would probably never have seen.

You may ask yourself why read letters written 30 years ago by a fallen Israeli soldier. Is it to learn what Israel's prime minister's life and how it may affect his decisions? Is it to show that soldiers are not always just machines, taking command from generals and doing what needs to be done? Or is it just an interesting view of a man who was a soldier and a brother and a son and a lover? It is all of these and more. It is also a way to see the struggle of soldiers who need to take commands and fight to protect the state, yet still want a life full of love and passion and learning. Who struggle between studying philosophy at Harvard and commanding in the Israeli army. Who worry about a younger brother who may not be the toughest soldier, yet turned out to be a prime minister. It is seeing a picture with more than just TV sound bytes. It is literally sitting next to Yoni while he is writing to his beloved in a dusty field. These letters may be the most honest and revealing news you can read to learn about Israeli soldiers anywhere (with all do respect to CNN and BBC.)