German president accepts state’s responsibility for not preventing 1972 massacre

Uri Dagon, Reuters and ILH Staff

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“That it took 50 years to reach this understanding of the last days, that is indeed shameful,” Frank-Walter Steinmeier said at a news conference alongside Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog.

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German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Berlin, September 4, 2022 | Photo: Reuters / Michele Tantussi

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday described the 50 years it took to reach a compensation agreement about the 1972 Munich Olympics attack “shameful.” Steinmeier spoke alongside President Isaac Herzog, who is visiting Germany ahead of the 50th anniversary of the attacks which led to the death of 11 Israelis, one German police officer after Palestinian terrorists took the Israeli squad was taken hostage at their residences at the Olympic village.

The incident, and the continuation of the games shortly after, outraged Israelis all over. The Israeli Mossad later assassinated the masterminds of the Palestinian faction responsible for the attack.

“Here in Berlin I stand and declare: Am Yisrael Chai! The People of Israel live! Thank you, my friend President Steinmeier, for the warm welcome. You are a true friend to me, my people & my country. Israel values our alliance and Germany’s commitment to our security and wellbeing,” Herzog said upon arriving at the presidential residence. “The foundations of the Israel-Germany relationship are complicated, challenging, and painful. We have been fated to be forever linked by the past and no less importantly by the future. This is a correct, critical, and indispensable alliance. For both Israel and Germany,” he continued.

Steinmeier regretted that “too long, we did not want to accept that we also share responsibility: It was our task to ensure the safety of the Israeli athletes,” he said.

Germany and Israel reached an agreement only in late August over the level of compensation and responsibility that Germany would shoulder. “That it took 50 years to reach this understanding of the last days, that is indeed shameful,” Steinmeier told a news conference. “We did not want to recognize the suffering felt by those who had been left behind,” he said but added that now Germany was duty-bound to “shed light on hidden aspects of the Munich massacre.”

Herzog, who flew to Germany along with his wife for a three-day state visit, emphasized the suffering of the victims’ relatives, who “hit a wall” every time they attempted to raise the compensation issue with Germany or with the International Olympic Committee.

“I think there was tragic suppression here,” Israel’s president said, underlining “the fact that the hostages were being led to slaughter and the Games went on.”

Before the August agreement was announced, the families had said they were unhappy with the latest German compensation offers and that they planned to boycott the ceremony on Monday marking the 50th anniversary of the attack in protest.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper, citing Germany’s news agency DPA, said compensation of 28 million euros ($28.02 million) had been discussed, of which the federal government would cover 22.5 million euros. The German government did not confirm the amounts, saying the talks with the victims’ representatives were confidential.

Steinmeier and Herzog are scheduled to lay wreaths in Munich on the anniversary of the attacks. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will also meet Herzog during his three day state visit. Herzog’s late father, Chaim Herzog, was the first president of Israel to officially visit Germany in 1987.

Herzog also addressed the threat his country feels is posed by the Iran nuclear deal, which is currently being re-negotiated in Vienna, after the US withdrew in 2018. Israel opposes the deal.

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i24NEWS contributed to this report.

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