USA/FILE: OLYMPICS: New York leaders pay tribute to Olympians killed during the 1972 Munich games.

Record ID: 330952

  • Title: USA/FILE: OLYMPICS: New York leaders pay tribute to Olympians killed during the 1972 Munich games.
  • Date: 27th July 2012
  • Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (FILE 1972) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEMORIAL SERVICE AT OLYMPICS STADIUM OLYMPIC FLAGS AT HALF STAFF ATHLETES WOMAN CRYING IN THE STANDS WIDE OF STADIUM SECURITY OFFICIAL HOLDING A GUN IN THE MIDST OF A CROWD GATHERED OUTSIDE A FENCE AT THE MUNICH AIRPORT MAN UNDER ARREST TAKEN INTO A GUARDHOUSE AND FILMED THROUGH A WINDOW AMBULANCE DRIVING THROUGH CROWD
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Usa
  • City:
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Crime,Conflict,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9K9GOX288U3SS5BTRI72LLN87
  • Story Text: Local officials in New York honored the 11 Israelis killed during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich on Friday (July 27) by pausing for a moment of silence for the slain Olympians.
    Ambassador Ido Aharoni, the Consul General of Israel in New York, was on hand to offer his thoughts to the athletes who passed away and paid tribute to one of the surviving members of the team that represented Israel 40 years ago.
    "Avraham's presence here is the ultimate message, one of perseverance and determination to the entire world. They tried to defeat us, they tried to defeat the Olympic spirit, but they'll never succeed," Aharoni told reporters.
    Avraham "Avi" Melamed, a surviving member of the swim team that took part in the 1972 games in Munich recalled his first hand experiences.
    "Now I was witnessing another first, the first Olympic battlefield forced upon us by the political fanaticism of the worst kinds, terrorism," Melamed told reporters.
    "And it is just a moment of silence we are asking for to commemorate the first Olympic battlefield so it never happens again," Melamed added.
    The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has rejected the public commemoration of the 11 Israeli Olympians murdered by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. It said the opening ceremony is not appropriate for such a moment of silence.
    This year marks the 40th anniversary of the deaths of the Israeli athletes, coaches and a local police officer killed after Palestinian gunmen invaded the Olympic village and demanded the release of hundreds of prisoners held in Israel.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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