Hostage-taking at the Munich Olympics: agreement between the German government and the families of Israeli victims

Renovation of a memorial stone for the 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian militants during the 1972 Olympics, at the site of the former Olympic Village hostage crisis in Munich, Germany August 18, 2022. REUTERS - WOLFGANG RATTAY

Text by: Michel Paul

3 mins

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.

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From our correspondent in Jerusalem,

It was finally a few days before the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of

that an agreement was 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 which had been described as an insult by the spokesperson for the families who

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 ' 

 ' for redressing '

".

And in Germany, they claim to have “ 

” .

, it is claimed, ends a

»

► To read also: These Olympic Games which were disrupted by political events

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

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 operations of this kind on German territory in exchange for the release of the three captured terrorists.

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