September 5 will mark the 50th anniversary of the tragic end of the hostage crisis at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Eight members of the Palestinian organization Black September entered an apartment of the Israeli delegation in the Olympic Village, immediately killing two Israeli athletes and taking nine other members of the delegation hostage, in the hope of exchanging them for 232 Palestinian prisoners. In all, eleven Israeli athletes, five hostage takers and a West German policeman perished in this sad affair. An agreement ending 50 years of litigation between the families of Israeli athletes and the German authorities over compensation has just been signed.
From our correspondent in Jerusalem,
It is finally a few days before the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of This drama that an agreement has been reached between the families of the 11 Israeli athletes and the German authorities. It relates in particular to compensation for families: the federal government, as well as the region of Bavaria and the city of Munich will pay a total of 28 million euros to the relatives of the victims of this hostage-taking which had bereaved the Munich Olympics. in 1972. At the beginning of the month, the Germans offered only 10 million euros, including the approximately 4.5 million already paid for the 23 direct members of the families of the murdered athletes. An offer that had been described as an insult by the spokesperson for the families who declined the invitation to go to the commemorative ceremonies on September 5.
Opening of archives
But it wasn’t just about compensation. The Israeli families also demanded the opening of all archives related to this case. It is this aspect of the case that raises many questions in Israel. The agreement also provides for the establishment of a commission of German and Israeli historians who should have access to documents so far classified to shed light on the attack and the police fiasco that followed. On the other hand, there is no longer any question of a formal apology from the German authorities, which until now has been demanded by the families of the victims. The Israeli president welcomed this agreement. Isaac Herzog expressed his ” gratitude ” for the repair of a ” historical injustice “. And in Germany, we claim to have fulfilled the historic obligation to the victims and their families. The agreementit is claimed, puts an end to a painful chapter in the common history of the two countries. »
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A hot topic in Israel
The Munich massacre, as it is described in Israel, is a subject that comes up regularly, particularly every four years during the Olympic Games. It is recalled that the intervention of the German security services ended with the death of all the hostages, as well as a West German policeman and five perpetrators of the attack. A bloody outcome for which the West German authorities were held partly responsible. In a magazine article, the daily Yediot Aharonot recently asserted that the Germans have, throughout this period, concealed the truth. In particular the agreement made with the Palestinian organization Black September which can be summed up in one sentence according to this investigation: no more operation of this kind on German territory in exchange for the release of the three captured terrorists.