Israeli Athletes Killed At 1972 Munich Games Are Remembered At The Opening Ceremony Of The Tokyo Olympics

A minute silence was held at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Olympics to remember the 11 Israeli athletes killed by Palestinian militants at the 1972 Munich Olympics 49 years ago.

It was the first time in 49 years the Olympic Committee had agreed to the silence, primarily out of fear that the Olympics would be boycotted by nations opposed to Israel.

An announcer stated before the minute's silence:

"We, the Olympic community, also remember all the Olympians and members of our community who have so sadly left us, in particular we remember those who lost their lives during the Olympic Games. One group still holds a strong place in all our memories and stand for all those we have lost at the games - the members of the Israeli delegation at the Olympic Games Munich 1972."

Israeli Olympic team members killed by Palestinian gunmen at the 1972 Munich Olympics were remembered during the #Tokyo2020 Olympics #OpeningCeremony with a moment of silence, the first time this has happened https://t.co/t3aL3sEE1e

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 23, 2021

The lights in the stadium were dimmed as the silence took place.

Relatives of the victims stated:

"Justice has finally been done for the husbands, fathers and sons who were murdered in Munich. We went through 49 years of struggle and never gave up. (We) can't stop the tears from flowing. For this moment we waited."

While Israel's minister for sort and culture added:

"The Tokyo Olympics have just opened, but they are already a historic Olympics - after 49 years, on the main stage, at the opening ceremony, the 11 heroes, the victims of the Munich Olympics, were mentioned. Better late than never."

In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, members of the Black September terrorist organisation stormed the compound in which Israeli athletes were staying and began killing them. A botched rescue operation by German forces resulted in more deaths.

The killings of Jews on German soil in the first German Olympics since the Nazi-era 1936 Berlin Olympics added to the state of shock felt around the world.

One Algerian athlete, judo competitor Fethi Nourine, withdrew from the Olympics earlier this week as he was due to face an Israeli competitor.

[h/t: Reuters]