Israel honors memory of murdered members of 1972 Olympic delegation
The 54th annual ceremony honoring the memory of 11 members of Israel’s Olympic delegation who were killed during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich was held in Tel Aviv–Jaffa, Israel. The event at Yud-Alef Square brought together relatives of the victims, athletes, coaches, representatives of the sports community and officials, The Jerusalem Post reports.
Ceremony participants
The memorial event was hosted by Olympic Games medalist Arik Ze’evi. Those present included Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar, President of the Olympic Committee of Israel Yael Arad, International Olympic Committee member and CEO of the Olympic Committee of Israel Adi Bichman, Tel Aviv–Jaffa Deputy Mayor Guy Daniel Avner, and Deputy Ambassador of Germany to Israel Helena Marks.
During the ceremony, representatives of the victims’ families lit memorial candles. Participants also laid wreaths on behalf of the Munich delegation, Israeli Olympians and Israel’s Academy of Sports Excellence.
Statements by participants
Yael Arad stated that Israeli athletes preserve the memory of the murdered delegation members at every competition and international venue. She also said that antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel have spread to the world of sports, and that the presence of Israeli athletes at international competitions is particularly important.
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Miki Zohar stressed that the memory of the delegation members, who, according to him, were killed because they were Jews, will forever remain part of the history of Israeli sports. He stated that the authorities would support the right of Israeli athletes to participate in international competitions.
Helena Marks noted that the memory of the 11 Israelis and German police officer Anton Fliegerbauer, who died during the failed rescue operation, serves as a reminder of the threat of extremism. According to her, countering extremism, antisemitic hatred and violence is a shared responsibility.
The Munich attack
On September 5, 1972, members of the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September broke into the premises of the Israeli delegation in the Munich Olympic Village. David Berger, Yosef Gutfreund, Moshe Weinberg, Eliezer Halfin, Mark Slavin, Ze’ev Friedman, Yosef Romano, Kehat Shorr, Andre Spitzer, Amitzur Shapira and Yaakov Springer were killed.
Oshrat Romano-Kandel, a representative of the families, called on Israel’s sports community to prepare for the next Olympic Games while preserving the memory of those killed. The annual ceremony is jointly organized by the Tel Aviv–Jaffa sports authority and the Olympic Committee of Israel.
