Munich massacre

The Munich massacre occurred at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage by the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September, now known to be an operational cover for Yasser Arafat's Fatah. The attack led directly to the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes, five of the eight kidnappers, and one German police officer, and was followed by a series of Israeli revenge assassinations of the principal planners.

Impact on the Games

The Olympic competition was suspended on September 5 for one full day. The next day, a memorial service by 80,000 spectators and 3,000 athletes was held in the Olympic Stadium. IOC President Avery Brundage made no reference to the athletes during a speech praising the strength of the Olympic movement. The Israelis and many others who listened were outraged, according to CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/09/05/world/main520865.shtml

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Many of the 80,000 people who filled the Olympic Stadium for West Germany's soccer match with Hungary carried noisemakers and waved flags, but when several spectators unfurled a banner reading "17 dead, already forgotten?" security officers removed the sign and expelled the offenders from the grounds. http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/2002/0902/munich/story6.html

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During the memorial service, the Olympic Flag flew at half-mast, along with most of the competing nations' national flags, but the Arab nations participating at the Games demanded that their flags remain flying at full-mast. This was seen as an active endorsement by the Arab nations of the terrorists.

Related Topics:
Olympic Flag - Half-mast - Arab

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Willi Daume, president of the Munich organizing committee, at first wanted the remainder of the Games called off, but in the afternoon International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Avery Brundage and others prevailed, stating that they could not let terrorism halt the games. http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/2002/0902/munich/story6.html. Brundage stated "the Games must go on", a decision that was endorsed by the Israeli government. http://encarta.msn.com/text_761562380__1/Olympic_Games.html

Related Topics:
International Olympic Committee - Avery Brundage

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On September 5, the Israeli team announced they would leave Munich. All Jewish sportsmen were placed under guard. The Egyptian team left the games on September 7, stating they feared reprisals. http://www.guardian.co.uk/fromthearchive/story/0,12269,1298214,00.html

Related Topics:
September 5 - Jew - September 7

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The families of some victims have asked the IOC to establish a permanent memorial to the athletes, but the IOC has declined, saying that to introduce a specific reference to the victims could "alienate other members of the Olympic community," according to the BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3581866.stm Alex Gilady, an Israeli IOC official, told the BBC: "We must consider what this could do to other members of the delegations that are hostile to Israel."

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