SW News:






Both Germany and Israel commemorated 50 years of the Munich Olympics attack with hopes that a long-awaited compensation deal for bereaved families will help them overcome the trauma of the infamous incident.

A row over the compensation made by Berlin to victims’ relatives had threatened to sour the ceremony, with family members planning a boycott. However, a final deal was struck on Wednesday in which Berlin would provide 28 million euros in compensation to the victims’ families. For the first time, the German state acknowledged its “responsibility” for failings that led to the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier admitted it was “shameful” that it had taken such a long time for Berlin to reach an agreement with victims’ families. “For far too long, we have refused to acknowledge the pain of the bereaved,” said Steinmeier at a state banquet for his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog. Admitting Germany’s share of responsibility, he said, “It was up to us to ensure the safety of the Israeli athletes.”

On September 5, 1972, eight gunmen of the Palestinian militant group Black September stormed into the Israeli team's flat at the Olympic village, gunning down two and taking nine Israelis hostage. All nine hostages were killed along with five of the eight abductors and a police officer. The Olympics were meant to showcase a new Germany 27 years after the Holocaust but instead created a deep rift with Israel.

In 2012, Israel released 45 official documents on the killings, including specially declassified material, which criticized the performance of the German security services.

The reports give an official account from former Israeli intelligence head Zvi Zamir who said the German police “didn't make even a minimal effort to save human lives.”

Herzog voiced hope that the agreement would bring “this painful episode to a place of healing.” "I hope that from now on, we shall continue to remember, invoke, and most importantly reaffirm the lessons of this tragedy, including the importance of fighting terror, for future generations," said the Israeli president.