What happened at the 1972 Games? – Firstpost

July 22, 2024

At the 1972 Olympic Games, Israeli athletes were taken hostage and killed by Palestinian militants. AFP

Israeli athletes participating in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris have received death threats reminiscent of the 1972 attacks. The Israeli government has responded by deploying armed agents to protect them.

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With anti-Semitism on the rise and the Israel-Palestine conflict raging for ten months, threats were sent against any Israeli presence during the Olympics; some athletes even received invitations to their own funerals.

The Israeli secret service Shin Bet will ensure the security of the 88-strong contingent in the French capital.

What happened at the 1972 Olympic Games?

On September 5, eight Palestinian terrorists from the Black September group entered the Olympic Village and took eleven Israeli athletes and coaches hostage. The terrorists demanded the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and two German terrorists.

As negotiations unfolded, the world watched in horror as the Olympic Games, supposed to be a celebration of international unity and sportsmanship, became a stage for political violence. The crisis lasted nearly 18 hours as West German authorities attempted to resolve the situation peacefully.

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Timeline of events of September 5, 1972

Tragically, a failed rescue attempt at the Fürstenfeldbruck air base resulted in the deaths of all nine Israeli hostages, as well as a German police officer and five of the terrorists.

The Munich massacre had far-reaching consequences. It led to significant changes in security measures at the Olympic Games and prompted Israel to launch Operation Wrath of God, a covert operation to track down and eliminate those responsible for the attack. The event also drew international attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the use of terrorism as a political tool.

The massacre remains a dark chapter in Olympic history and is a grim reminder of the impact of global conflict on the world of sport.

How does Olympics remember this terrible incident?

Two days before the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the International Olympic Committee honored those killed in a ceremony led by Brazilian and Israeli officials.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, a minute’s silence was observed during the opening ceremony.

At the Paris Olympics, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog will attend the opening ceremony. Herzog and his wife Michal are expected to install a mezuzah on the Israeli building in the Olympic Village to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of the Munich massacre.