Israel urged the international community yesterday to overturn the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) “unacceptable” rejection of its request for a minute’s silence during London 2012 in memory of the 11 athletes murdered at the 1972 Munich games.
The long running campaign by the widows of two of the athletes killed by the Palestinian Black September group in 1972 for an official stadium commemoration was given Israeli government backing this year in a letter from Danny Ayalon, the deputy foreign minister, to the International Olympic President Jacques Rogge.
But in his response Mr Rogge said only that he and other IOC officials will attend the normal commemorative event hosted by the Israel Olympics committee, which will be held at London’s Guildhall this year.
Mr Ayalon said yesterday that “this rejection told us as Israelis that this tragedy is yours alone and not a tragedy within the family of nations.” “The terrorist murders of the Israeli athletes were …..an attack on the Olympic Games and the international community,” he added. “Thus it is necessary for the Olympic Games as a whole to commemorate this event in the open rather than only in a side event.” more
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