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Kozo Okamoto, Japanese militant in 1972 Tel Aviv airport attack, dies in Beirut at 78
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Kozo Okamoto, a Japanese militant involved in a deadly 1972 attack on Tel Aviv’s airport, died at age 78 in Beirut, where he had lived under the protection of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
- Okamoto participated in a joint operation between the Japanese Red Army and the PFLP that killed 26 people and wounded dozens; he was imprisoned in Israel for 12 years before being released in a 1985 prisoner exchange.
- After gaining political asylum in Lebanon, Okamoto remained a symbol of steadfast support for the Palestinian cause, making rare public appearances and being regarded as a hero by many in Lebanon and the Arab world.
- The PFLP framed the 1972 attack as retaliation for an Israeli commando raid on Beirut’s airport in 1968, highlighting Okamoto’s long-standing commitment to their struggle.
- Despite Japan’s repeated demands for his extradition, Lebanon refused to hand him over, and Okamoto lived out his life in Beirut until his death.
