A Moment of Silence for the Victims of the Munich Massacre

IN AFEW MINUTES WE WILL BE STANDING TO COMMEMORATE THE 40^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MUNICH MASSACRE OF 11 ISRAELI ATHLETES WHO PERISHED AT THE HANDS OF TERRORISTS DURING THE OLYMPICS WITH A MINUTE OF SILENCE.   THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION RECENTLY BY INDIVIDUALS WHO WANTED THE OLYMPICS TO OPEN WITH JUST SUCH A MOMENT OF SILENCE DEVOTED TO THOSE ATHLETES.  THE ORIGINAL REQUEST CAME FROM TWO OF THE WIDOWS OF THE ELEVEN.  AS YOU KNOW, THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE CHOSE NOT TO HONOR THAT REQUEST.  ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS SIGNED PETITIONS ASKING FOR THE MOMENT ON SILENCE, THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE U.S. ALSO SUPPORTED THE REQUEST.  THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE CHOSE TO HOLD A MOMENT OF SILENCE STANDING IN FRONT OF 100 INDIVIDUALS RATHER THAN IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE WORLD!

DEBORAH LIPSTADT, AN AMERICAN HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR OF BOOKS ABOUT HOLOCAUST DENIAL, ISSUED A STATEMENT TODAY THAT EXPLAINED WHY SUCH A PRIVATE MOMENT OF SILENCE WAS NOT ADEQUATE.  SHE WROTE:
“Never before or since were athletes murdered at the Games. Never before or since were the Games used by terrorists for their evil purposes. Never before or since were those who came to participate in a sports competition murdered for who they were and where they came from.
The proper place to acknowledge such a tragedy is not in a so-called spontaneous moment in front of 100 people, but in a purposeful action by the entire Olympic “family.”
ONE WONDERS HOW MUCH POLITICS PLAYS INTO DECISIONS.  DOES IT REALLY MATTER THAT ISRAEL IS DESPISED AMONG MANY NATIONS IN THE WORLD?  DOES IT REALLY MATTER THAT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE ARE THRILLED THAT THE DECISION WAS NOT TO REMEMBER THE TRAGEDY THAT BEFELL THE ISRAELI ATHLETES?
Why did the IOC say they refused? The Olympic Committee’s official explanation is that the games are apolitical.  If that were the case, then the 1996 games would not have mentioned the Bosnian War and the 2002 games would not have opened with a minute of silence for the victims of 9/11.  If the reason is that it is not celebratory to have a minute of silence, then one would wonder why the 2010 winter games took a minute of silence for an athlete who died during a training accident.

In Debra Lipstadt’s words:  “The IOC’s explanation is nothing more than a pathetic excuse. The athletes who were murdered were from Israel and were Jews—that is why they aren’t being remembered. The only conclusion one can draw is that Jewish blood is cheap, too cheap to risk upsetting a bloc of Arab nations and other countries that oppose Israel and its policies.”

What a sad comment that is.  Never-the-less, this evening as the Olympics get underway, we will stand in memory of the members of the Israeli team that were murdered at the hands of terrorists during the 1972 Olympics.  Let us not forget that Israelis still remain targets whether they are young or old, athletes or not, in the eyes of some who vilify the Jewish people and those who live in the Jewish State.  We hope and pray for a day when this will not be the case…when the spirit of world community will fill the air.

Please rise.