ILJapanese terrorist Kozo Okamoto, who was responsible for a deadly attack on Israel's Lod Airport (now Ben Gurion Airport) in 1972, has died at age 78 in Beirut. He was part of a three-person commando unit from the Japanese Red Army, acting on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which planned the attack. The incident resulted in 26 deaths, including eight Israelis, one Canadian, and 17 U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico. Okamoto was captured after the attack, received a life sentence in Israel, and was released in 1985 through the Jibril Agreement. He later lived in Lebanon under PFLP protection, avoiding extradition to Japan, and obtained political asylum there in 2000. In his final years, he lived in relative isolation but occasionally participated in PFLP events.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the actions of Kozo Okamoto and the PFLP in a sympathetic light, referring to him as a 'militant comrade' and highlighting his 'unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.' It emphasizes the political motivations behind the attack and portrays Okamoto as someone who 'refuses the
