Sunday, July 4th, 1976. What a day it was! It was, of course, the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4th, 1776. All across America, and in many other countries (yes, even in the United Kingdom) people celebrated the birth of a great nation, later to be the United States of America. Huge outdoor patriotic concerts, fireworks displays, parades, and worship services (it was Sunday) honored America. New York City even had a gigantic ship parade down the Hudson River that was televised around the world. CBS called it “America’s Happiest Birthday.”
That day in 1976 was also the anniversary of one of history’s most enigmatic ironies. It was the 150th anniversary of the death of the man who wrote the Declaration of Independence, and the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (b. 1743). Furthermore, July 4th, 1976, was also the 150th anniversary of the death of Jefferson’s greatest political rival, and the second U.S. President, John Adams (b. 1735). Yes, both Jefferson and Adams died on July 4th, 1826, exactly 50 years to the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. According to historians, nether man knew the other was near death. Next month we celebrate our nations 245th birthday.
But July 4th, 1976, was also a major day in history in its own right. On that day one of the most remarkable events of the 20th Century took place, and I doubt many of you remember it or have ever even heard of it. On that day, a 100+ task force from the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), against all odds, made an intrepid night time raid in Entebbe, Uganda, and rescued 94 Israeli hostages and 12 Air France air crew members. Those people, and many others onboard an Air France fight out of Tel Aviv, had been hijacked on June 27th and forced to fly to Uganda in Africa. Most of the non-Israeli passengers were released a few days later. The hijackers, members of a radical German revolutionary faction, demanded Israel release 40 convicted terrorists from their jails in exchange for the lives of their captured citizens.
For several days the two sides negotiated and the Israeli government pretended to agree to the hijackers’ demands. However, on the night of July 4th, while Americans were rejoicing, the Israeli air force and army task force secretly flew from Israel to Entebbe Airport. When they landed 25 IDF commandoes stormed the terminal where the hijackers were holding the hostages. There they killed all of the hijackers and fought a fierce battle with Ugandan soldiers, who were under orders from their unhinged leader, Idi Amin Dada, to protect the terrorists. Nonetheless, the task force rescued alive all but four of the hostages and flew them safely back to Israel. Only one Israeli soldier was killed, the leader of the terminal raid, Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu (brother of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu).
It is important to note that all of the terrorists in that instance were radical Marxists. In those days, most terrorist attacks were done by fanatical Marxists and Maoists. As we have explained many times in our writings, Marxism is a Naturalist belief system that believes that only armed violent revolution can bring justice to the world. As a result they have no qualms about killing and enslaving innocent people to further their aims. After the fall of the Soviet Union and communism in Europe in the early 1990s most of those radical Marxist groups were rounded up and extinguished. However, in recent years we have seen a revival of Marxist ideology around the world and even in the United States. As Islamic terrorist attacks have waned somewhat in the last few years, we may expect a renewal of Marxist fanaticism. As Christians we must expose the false suppositions that undergird that evil philosophy.
Next month as we again celebrate the anniversary of our nation’s birth, keep in mind the courageous men and women, American and Israeli, who refused to buckle to tyranny and terrorism. As Americans and Christians we must do the same in this generation. God grant us the courage.