Forty-four years ago, while the bicentennial was being celebrated in America, the IDF carried out perhaps the greatest rescue mission of all time. It was July 4, 1976, when terrorists hijacked a plane from Tel Aviv to Paris, with plans to hold 106 Jews hostage in hopes of a huge ransom.

Watch below to learn how the IDF pulled off the great escape!

As you prepare to celebrate American independence tomorrow, take a moment to praise God for the freedom brought to those 102 Jews as a result of the heroic efforts of the IDF.