The German government said it was ready on Wednesday to pay new compensation to the families of 11 Israeli athletes killed by a Palestinian group during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. However, the proposed amount has already been described as “insulting” by those for whom it would be intended.
Relatives of the athletes have long criticized the German authorities’ handling of the attack and its aftermath, a misunderstanding that now threatens to overshadow commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the massacre.
The German Interior Ministry said it was in talks with relatives and that the “serious consequences for the surviving dependents of the victims in immaterial and material terms” should be reassessed. “An offer of additional recognition payments to the surviving relatives of the victims of the attack” was planned, the ministry told the German news agency DPA, adding that “the memorial ceremony of the 50e anniversary should be the occasion for a clear political classification of events”.
On September 5, 1972, members of the Palestinian group Black September burst into the Olympic Village in Munich. They take Israel’s national team athletes hostage in an effort to force the release of prisoners held by the Jewish state and West Germany. Eleven Israelis and a West German policeman die as events unfold, including during a failed rescue attempt.
Immediately after the attack, Germany had paid relatives of the victims an amount of about 4.19 million marks (about 2.68 million Canadian dollars), according to the Ministry of the Interior. In 2002, surviving relatives then received an additional €3 million (nearly C$4 million), DPA reported.
A claim for compensation amounting to around 40 million marks had cited massive errors in the police operation, but was dismissed due to the statute of limitations.
“Degrading” and “insulting”
In Israel, Ilana Romano, the widow of Yossef Romano, a weightlifter who was one of the first Israelis killed, told the Kan public broadcaster on Tuesday that Germany’s current reparations offer was “degrading” and that the survivors of the victims rejected it.
Ankie Spitzer, the widow of Andre Spitzer, a fencing coach killed in the attack, also rejected the sum offered by Germany. “The sum offered to us is insulting,” said Mr.me Spitzer on Wednesday at the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland press group. “We are angry and disappointed. »
Citing the families of the victims, the news group reported that Germany had offered 10 million euros (about C$13 million) to the families, which would include payments already made in the past. The German government has not publicly disclosed how much money it has offered.
“We never wanted to talk about money publicly,” noted M.me Spitzer, “but now we have to do it.” If the current offer holds, relatives will not come to Munich for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the attack in early September, she added.