JTA has a very interesting piece called Idi Amin and Israel: First love, then hate. It reveals the following:
– Amin converted to Islam at age 15.
– In 1963 he served as a special trainee of the Israel Defense Forces, earning his paratrooper wings.
– He once said “Arab victory in the war with Israel is inevitable and Prime Minister of Israel Mrs. Golda Meir’s only recourse is to tuck up her knickers and run away in the direction of New York and Washington.”
– He praised Hitler for his “Final Solution” to the Jewish question.
– He turned violent against Jews in his own country, shutting down every synagogue in Uganda and beating and imprisoning observant Jews.
– After Entebbe, he threatened to attack Israel if it failed to compensate him for the destruction of the aircraft and the money he spent on the hostages.
– Ties between Israel and Uganda are now very strong.
