FIDF Live Briefing: Dr. Jerry Berkowitz, Hostage & Survivor of 1970 Black September Hijacking - August 4, 2024

FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil speaks with Dr. Jerry Berkowitz, a hostage and survivor of the 1970 Black September airplane hijacking in which terrorists from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacked four airliners bound for New York and took 56 Jews as hostages to Jordan. Dr. Berkowitz recounts in great detail his experience being taken hostage with his wife and young daughter, who were soon after separated from him and released, while he and five other men were held in captivity for a month. The two discuss how this hijacking related to the broader geopolitical events of the time, specifically the Black September Uprising, when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and PFLP tried to overthrow the Jordanian government. Dr. Berkowitz also describes the painful long-term effects of this experience for himself, his wife, and children. Lastly, he offers advice and words of consolation for the families of current Israeli hostages who are being held in Gaza. Donate NOW at FIDF.org for the fastest and most direct way to give IDF Soldiers what they need most. 100% of your contribution will go to meet their emergency humanitarian needs. (Recorded 08/04/2024)