A safety ski binding, for retaining the end of a boot to a ski until a threshold bias force is exerted, includes a body for connection to the ski, and a jaw mounted on the front of the body for movement between a closed position at which the jaw is adapted to engage and retain the end of the boot to the ski, and an opened position at which the jaw is adapted to either free the end of the boot or to receive the end of the boot into the binding. Elastic return apparatus is provided for the purpose of resiliently maintaining the jaw in either its closed or opened position. A manually operable lever having a handle is mounted on the body for movement between closed and opened positions. The handle and the jaw have first cooperable elements for moving the jaw to its opened position in response to movement of the handle from its closed to its opened position. The handle and jaw also have second cooperable elements for moving the jaw to its closed position in response to movement of the handle from its opened to its closed position. The second cooperable elements include a front edge on the handle engageable with a portion of the upper surface of the jaw.