Tokyo Olympics finally observes silence to honour 11 murdered Israeli athletes nearly 50 years after the 1972 Munich games

During the opening ceremony of 2021, Tokyo Olympics, for the first time in five decades, a moment of silence was observed to honour the memories of 11 Israeli athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists.

“One group still holds a strong place in all our memories and stands for all those we have lost at the games – the members of the Israeli delegation at the Olympic Games Munich 1972,” the announcer said on Friday (July 23) during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.  

She added, “We remember those who lost their lives during the Olympic Games.”

This gesture was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett who tweeted, “Today, for the first time at the Olympic Games, the brutal massacre of 11 members of the Israeli delegation at the 1972 Munich Olympics was officially mentioned. I welcome this important and historic moment. May they rest in peace.”

Israel had earlier asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to observe a minute silence for the 2012 London games to mark the 40th anniversary of the attack. However, this request was rejected and the IOC was criticized for not honouring the memories of the Israeli athletes killed in 1972.

Eight Palestinian terrorists belonging to the Black September terror group murdered 11 Israeli athletes participating in the Munich Olympics of 1972. The leaders of the Black September were later hunted down by Isreal under operation “Wrath of God”.

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