On the 54th anniversary, Israel honors those murdered in the 1972 Olympics

Israel held its 54th annual memorial ceremony for the 11 athletes and officials murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The event in Tel Aviv included government officials, sports leaders, and family members, who linked the legacy of the victims to current challenges facing Israeli athletes.

Israel held its 54th annual memorial ceremony for the 11 members of its 1972 Olympic delegation murdered by Palestinian terrorists in Munich. The event took place at Yud-Alef Square in Tel Aviv on Monday evening, with Olympic medalist Arik Zeevi as master of ceremonies. Attendees included Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar, Israel Olympic Committee President Yael Arad, IOC member Adi Bichman, Tel Aviv-Jaffa Deputy Mayor Guy Daniel Avner, German Deputy Ambassador Helena Marks, and family members of the victims. Arad said the memory of the Munich 11 is carried by athletes at every competition, and that at a time of rising antisemitism and delegitimization of Israel in sport, Israeli presence on international stages is more important than ever. Zohar drew a direct line from the Munich attack to current efforts to boycott Israeli athletes, stating Israel will not bow to threats. Marks emphasized that the tragedy reminds us extremism poses a real threat, especially as antisemitic violence increases worldwide. Memorial candles were lit by family members, and wreaths were laid. The victims were David Berger, Yossef Gutfreund, Moshe Weinberg, Eliezer Halfin, Mark Slavin, Ze'ev Friedman, Yossef Romano, Kehat Shorr, Andre Spitzer, Amitzur Shapira, and Yaakov Springer. German police officer Anton Fliegerbauer was also killed in the failed rescue operation.