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Israel demands reparations from Palestine for 1972 Munich Olympics attack

An Israeli organisation wants an apology and reparations from Palestine over the murder of 11 of ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

09.13 12 Aug 2016


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Israel demands reparations fro...

Israel demands reparations from Palestine for 1972 Munich Olympics attack

Newstalk
Newstalk

09.13 12 Aug 2016


Share this article


An Israeli organisation wants an apology and reparations from Palestine over the murder of 11 of its Olympians in 1972.

Israeli athletes and coaches were taken hostage by Palestinians in ski masks from the group ‘Black September’ in the German city of Munich.

After negotiations to free the Israelis broke down, the hostages were taken to Munich Airport.

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Once there, German police opened fire and killed three of the hostage takers.

A subsequent gun battle left the hostages, two more Palestinians and a policeman dead.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is to officially recognise the Munich massacre for the first time.

Stock portraits of five of the Israelis held hostage in 1972. In the top row, from left, are: Joseph Romano, weightlifter; Amitzur Shapira, athletics coach; and David Berger, weightlifter. In bottom row, from left are, Andre Spitzer, fencing coach; and Kehat Shorr, marksmanship coach | Image: AP/Press Association Images

A memorial is to be dedicated in the centre of the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro, which will then be carried to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2020. 

There will be a moment of reflection during the closing ceremony in Rio, during which the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) hopes IOC President Thomas Bach may read the names of those killed.

The IOC is also supporting a memorial to the athletes at the former Olympic Village in Munich.

Blood stains and bullet holes mark the place where armed Palestinian terrorists killed 11 Israel Olympic team members, after keeping them hostage for almost 18 hours in 1972 | Image: AP/Press Association Images

The NCYI claims the Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, financed the 1972 attack.

It alleges Mr Abbas also praised the last living Palestinian involved in the attack - Abu Daoud.

“Daoud wrote a book in which he described how Abbas kissed him on the forehead and wished him luck before the attack,” the NCYI adds.

President of the NCYI, Farley Weiss, said: “Abbas has never apologised for his actions, nor has he been penalised for them.

“The Palestinian Authority not only has failed to make amends to the families, but it has further extolled the terrorists who participated in the heinous attack that forever changed the Olympics.”


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