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Munich To Be Commemorated in London?

Israeli diplomat hails pledge of ‘personal’ memorial for 11 Israeli athletes

by
Marc Tracy
July 06, 2012
A cricketer in England with the Olympic Torch.(LOCOG via Getty Images)
A cricketer in England with the Olympic Torch.(LOCOG via Getty Images)

Since Israel’s Foreign Ministry started making a big, justifiable stink about the International Olympic Committee’s refusal to officially commemorate at this summer’s London Olympics the massacre and murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Games 40 years ago, others, none more notably than the Germans, have joined the call.

Now, according to one report, there may be results.

Yesterday, Britain’s Jewish Chronicle reported that the head of London’s organizing body was considering some sort of “personal” recognition during the opening ceremony, on July 27. Today, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon tentatively celebrated. “If this is true, it is a tremendous development,” he said, adding, “the call for remembrance at the opening ceremony is a humanitarian obligation, not a political statement.” Yes: it’s the plain old right thing to do.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.