Munich Remembers Olympic Massacre
Israeli athletes who competed at the European Championships in Munich joined relatives of the 11 Israelis killed when the city hosted the 1972 Olympic Games for a ceremony of remembrance yesterday.
It took place by a monument to the victims, at the bridge linking the former Olympic village to the Olympic stadium, amid tight security. Police helicopters patrolled and marksmen were stationed overlooking the site.
On September 5 1972, Palestinian terrorists of the Black September group stormed the Israeli competitors' quarters in the Olympic village, killing two Israeli athletes and holding the others hostage in an effort to gain the freedom of 200 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. In a botched rescue attempt, nine more Israeli athletes were killed, as well as five terrorists and a German policeman.
The European track and field championships, which ended yesterday, marked the first time since those Olympics that the village had been used by athletes, including the 17 members of the Israeli team.
Among the Israeli athletes attending the ceremony was Alex Averbukh, who on Saturday won the pole vault competition, giving Israel its first gold at a European championship and its first medal of any kind in a major athletics competition. He said: "I want to give a little present to the Israeli people, because the news from there is not so good".
It took place by a monument to the victims, at the bridge linking the former Olympic village to the Olympic stadium, amid tight security. Police helicopters patrolled and marksmen were stationed overlooking the site.
On September 5 1972, Palestinian terrorists of the Black September group stormed the Israeli competitors' quarters in the Olympic village, killing two Israeli athletes and holding the others hostage in an effort to gain the freedom of 200 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. In a botched rescue attempt, nine more Israeli athletes were killed, as well as five terrorists and a German policeman.
The European track and field championships, which ended yesterday, marked the first time since those Olympics that the village had been used by athletes, including the 17 members of the Israeli team.
Among the Israeli athletes attending the ceremony was Alex Averbukh, who on Saturday won the pole vault competition, giving Israel its first gold at a European championship and its first medal of any kind in a major athletics competition. He said: "I want to give a little present to the Israeli people, because the news from there is not so good".
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