It’s been 53 years since the Lod Airport attack (now Ben Gurion Airport) in Tel Aviv, carried out by three Japanese men in coordination with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). One of the attackers, Kozo Okamoto, is still wanted by the U.S. Department of Justice for terrorism.
Still Hiding in Lebanon
Okamoto has lived in Lebanon since 1985 as a political refugee.
The U.S. is now offering $5 million for any information that leads to his capture.
The U.S. Rewards for Justice Program posted:
“We haven’t forgotten. Help us bring justice to the victims and their families.”
What Happened at Lod Airport?
On May 30, 1972, three Japanese members of the Japanese Red Army
Tsuyoshi Okudaira, Yasuyuki Yasuda, and Kozo Okamoto arrived at Lod Airport from Rome. They opened fire and threw grenades in the baggage claim area. 26 people were killed, including 17 Americans. And Over 71 others were injured.
Yasuda was killed during the attack.
Okudaira blew himself up with a grenade.
Okamoto was captured alive, though injured.
Jailed, Then Released
Okamoto was sentenced in Israel to 3 life terms and spent 13 years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement. On May 20, 1985, he was released in a prisoner exchange deal and later granted asylum in Lebanon, where he now lives in the Bekaa Valley.
Who Is Kozo Okamoto?
- Youngest of 6 siblings from a middle-class family in southern Japan.
- Entered Israel with a fake passport under the name “Daisuke Namba,” a historical figure who once tried to assassinate the Japanese emperor.
- The PFLP gave him the Arabic name “Ahmad.”
Okamoto’s health has declined after years in isolation and exile.
Mai Shigenobu, daughter of the Japanese Red Army founder and a Lebanese-born activist, said:
“He’s no threat to Israel or Japan. But Japan still asks for him every year. His life may still be in danger.”
