German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has offered his apologies for the massacre at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Fifty years ago, during a failed attempt to end a Palestinian hostage-taking of Israeli athletes, 11 Israeli athletes among others lost their lives.
The German president spoke of multiple failures by the police services of his country before, during, and after the hostage situation. On Monday, Steinmeier attended a ceremony with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog at the Fuerstenfeldbruck airport outside Munich, the scene of the failed rescue attempt where nine Israeli athletes, one West German police officer, and five of the attackers died.
“As head of state of this country and on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany,” Steinmeier said, “I ask for forgiveness for the lack of protection for the Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics and for the lack of clarification thereafter, and for what happened.”
At the Munich Olympic Games, eight Palestinians from the terrorist group Black September entered the Olympic Village. There they took eleven Israeli athletes and officials hostage. Black September demanded the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners in Israel and the founders of the German terrorist group Red Army Faction.
The West German police launched a rescue attempt that failed on several fronts. During the hostage-taking and the subsequent escape attempt, all eleven Israelis were shot dead by the captors.
Five members of Black September were killed on the spot. The other three were arrested but released a month later as ransom to end a new hostage situation.
The Israeli secret service reportedly later liquidated two of them, but that is contradicted by a Dutch television documentary. It states that not one but two of the perpetrators are still alive, according to NOS.
Family members of the killed athletes, including Dutchwoman Ankie Spitzer, the widow of the deceased Israeli fencing coach, have pressed Germany for half a century to acknowledge its responsibilities. Last week, shortly before the anniversary, Germany and the survivors agreed on a compensation of 28 million euros.