ah, ah ah ah ah ah, welcome to this special edition of d. w. news and i'll live coverage of a day of commemorations mocking 5 decades since the munich olympics massacre. earlier relatives of the victims of the terror attack gathered for a commemorative ceremony and munich, the various state cultural minister called the massacre an attack on the entire

free western world. he also said germany had failed to protect the israelis and has learned from this mistake. 50 years ago to day 11 israeli team members died after palestinian militants stormed their compound in the olympic village. with me to go through the days, events in our studio is chief political correspondent, linda crime. linda, thanks so much for coming in on this very significant day. and we're waiting for this service to begin. obviously not tell us the reasons why it almost didn't go ahead as planned. well, this is actually the 2nd of 2 commemorations today. as you mentioned, there was one earlier today at the olympic park where the games were held in 972. and this one is being held at an air field where many of the hostages died, where some of the terrorists also died. and where one german policeman was

killed and it was unclear until just about 10 days ago whether the families of the israeli victims would actually attend to this commemoration ceremony for the reason that they essentially feel that for the last 50 years that they have been essentially cast out that they have been marginalized, that they are calls for more information. they are their desire to look at the german archives, to dig into what had really happened on that day. that they simply went unheard. and that they are request for additional compensation. they were initially paid a fairly symbolic sum of 2000000, then they got 3000000 a little bit later. but they asked for significantly more than that to compensate for the fact that they lost loved ones. young men who presumably who could have gone on to live long and productive lives and those calls simply were not

recognized. the german government did enter into negotiations with them. and a few weeks ago, it was decided that $28000000.00 will now be paid. that includes what the families had already received, and that includes that initial to and exam it in as an official apology. we will be given. so that is one of the things that we expect to occur at this commemoration ceremony, which now is being attended by the relatives of the victims and also by israel's president, had dog who also potentially may have stayed away otherwise. so that's, that's very, very important. and the fact is, germany has a lot to apologize for 5 decades. never truly recognizing the horror of what occurred in munich. and the fact that the rescue operation at the time was badly badly botched. and for that reason the families,

one person said that essentially what the way they treated as an insult and german and the anti semitic commissioner, or the commissioner for anti semitism in bavaria, said they were treated like the poor relatives of a family that you simply don't want around, i believe that they weren't actually even though they still that they have now agreed to. and of course now are here in germany for the commemorative services. i believe that they were actually urged to sort of to take that deal in the end actually by the ready, prime minister, who said, you know, indeed they were, they had hoped for a somewhat more. but i think it's important to recognise that this is not at all about money alone. it's very much about dignity about the desire for an apology, and also the desire for accountability. so one of the parts of this new agreement now is that there will be a german israeli commission of historians to look into what happened at that time

and try to really get to the bottom of why the rescue operation went so badly wrong . and why they were so little recognition after all of this occurred that that it was a catastrophe because the fact is the games were paused for only one and a half days. and then they went on the head of the international. the committee said the game must go on some weeks later. lufthansa playing was hijacked, and there then the last perpetrators who had been imprisoned were freed by the german government. there was no historical commission at that time. there was no formal apology. it's just one error. and, and essentially a latent oversight after another, what damage did it, due to they at the time, very fledgling relationship between germany and israel. and what kind of an impact that, that of, and some of the families of the victims of the munich terror attack to say that

they felt they were, they were looking at an echo of the holocaust that and in fact one of the athletes at least one of the athletes on the israeli team had himself escaped death in germany as a jew during the war. and then, you know, was subjected to terrorism in germany. again in 1972. i think for germany, those games were supposed to symbolize. essentially, germany's come back in the community of nations, they were supposed to symbolize a peaceful, harmonious germany. therefore, for example, the security services at the games were very lightly armed. if at all, this is also one of the reasons the rescue operation was so badly botched. the german authorities were not prepared for this to occur, although they had been warned, they simply, you know, had their vision of what the games would be and they, they, they couldn't depart from that. so, for germany to it was, it was

a terrible blow. but in a way, one which germany in the style that had been somewhat accustomed in the years in the decades after the war pushed it away. there were of course, many germans who were horrified and who called for, for a closer look. but was somehow a collective unwillingness to really, to really do what was needed at the time. quite shocking, really hard to hard to imagine in this day and age. but we are looking at live pictures there on the screen as we wait for the commemoration service to begin. we can actually cross to our political correspondent benjamin alvarez gruber, who's on the ground. he was there this morning as well as the the 1st commemorative service took place. benjamin was the mood there are near munich on that airfield. there is indeed a lot of expectations and some of the family members of the murdered athletes are

waiting here for the presidents. to arrive to him and president frank by the stymies railey president exec hertz. of course, tied security. not only here on the air base, but the access to it. they're waiting for them to arrive. there will be a short moment there will be standing in here. most of the guests around 850 were here this ab in kilometer though, sorry to interrupt you. and i'm actually looking at the live pictures here. and i can see that german president frank volter stein meyer and is radio president, is our hertzog are actually, they're paying their respects on the field. we might want to take those there. we others, the pictures live for you. you're absolutely right. you can see many people taking pictures so you can see how family members went really close to that area, standing in front of the building where this happened. so when we arrived here, they told us that the helicopters were standing here of this terrible rescue. and

by as melinda already said, coolly prepared police officers who started shooting at the helicopter. and they're still several question marks to actually see what happened there. and that's why this commission of historians, of germany, of israeli historians is so important. and also the germans, they taking responsibility. so it's definitely not just about the financial compensation for the family members. indeed, we are expecting the bavarian premier mark asserted to open the commemorations in just a moment. we can see him there with the group. they're paying their respects at the beginning of this service. benjamin you were there this morning. you've been there for some hours. how has the atmosphere been there in the lead up to this event? that of course, almost didn't take place as planned. all the and lossless absolutely. there was this believe that's where you hear by many people wandering. why did, did it actually took it 50 years for the say to say we have this responsibility and

this was the last minute m attempt that they got the finally have it. this agreement between the german government and the family members. so as the family members had already said, that they would not only boycott this ceremony that is taking place to day this commemorating. they also asked these rarely president to do the same as well. it's not the 1st time that germany is talking to those family members about compensations about the failures that happened 50 years ago. but as the family members sad it was, it was a joke. what the german government offered to them. they were pushing, they were putting pressure on to see what happened there and to see why this failure happened that several failures. yeah, i think several aspects of the 1st one is that during police, german authorities did not protect israeli athletes at the olympic games. that was the 1st thing that happened when this terrorist grew black september. it went into that village. and then the scenes had unfolded here at this, at this m fares and felt broke. what was standing here right now?

30 kilometers away into disaster. with this botched rescue attempts by police officers, i benjamin, thank you. maybe as we wait for this commemoration to begin, we can see people falling in there into the hall. we are expecting mock asserted, the bavarian premier to open the ceremony. but as we're waiting melinda, perhaps for those who aren't that familiar with the events of 1972, just talk us through briefly. what's, what went on of 50 years ago today? well, as we heard there from benjamin, the israeli athletes had been in their apartment where there were police at the olympic park, but they were lightly armed and they weren't trained in any way in anti terrorism. in fact, germany's famous g d 9 and the special troops were created in a reaction to what happened at munich because they saw how very, very badly prepared the security services were it so much. and now when you think

about the tight security, even when you going to the airport or anything, it's really hard to imagine an event like that it was, it was open. in fact, athletes were able to climb over the walls of the residences where the olympic athletes were staying to visit one another. which ha, you know, seems like fun and games until terrorists palestinian terrorists use the same method, which is what they did. they essentially forced their way into the apartment where many of the israeli athletes were staying, took them hostage, badly mishandled, essentially beat, and tortured several of them and then made their demands. and their demands essentially were demands to israel to release $300.00 palestinian prisoners being kept in detention by israel, and also on the german government to release a rica mine, half of the famous red army faction, terrorist. so israel said no,

we're not going to negotiate. germany echoed that. and therefore they were essentially at a stand off, which is when this attempted rescue began to be planned. and the 1st idea was to try to overpower the terrorists in the tunnels at the olympic village. that went wrong because one of the terrorists essentially was casing the area and saw some pretty badly hidden policeman in the tunnels and said that they would now demand to be flown out by helicopter. they had been told that they might be able to be flown out by airplane, from germany's, from unix, international airport to egypt, where they then wanted to continue their negotiations with israel from a safe space as it, as it were. so the terrorist then said, okay, we are now going to demand that you pick us up by helicopter,

take us to the airport and that we fly out from there. so essentially what the, what the crisis committee and the crisis committee, by the way included the bavarian interior minister, the german interior minister of the time had stated cancer, who went on to become a very famous foreign minister of germany. but he was part of the crisis team that essentially planned this very botched rescue effort, which was to deceive the terrorists to make them believe they were being taken to the international airport. but in fact, to fly them to this air field where the commemoration is now being held. we're snipers would then supposedly pick them off. many, many things went wrong. yeah, moving, we're hearing he is now from the jewish chamber orchestra. this is the beginning of the commemoration, right? let's listen in many more questions. we'll continue the discussion shortly. thank you, melinda. ah,

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ah man is if you ladies and gentlemen spoke to them, the president had so come miss had was logged in. president stein, maya mr. compton banner to find your invoice so they can go on a chair with family members on to mrs. lippett some mister shows them with no blood and all our guests will come from far away. this is a very special day of commemoration. 50 ice and the rose, 3 of the attacker on the olympic games. so appraiser,

anton remembrance against forgetting for never again and for the appreciation of grief and pain. family members, i am very much aware of how this day of the previous days have been very difficult for you and will always remain difficult for you in particular in this place. the space of remembrance, if the effort of his confer effect book when this attack on the 5th of september at 71972 took 8. austin horrific and thank you for having come and thank you for sharing your day of remembrance with us. nobody among us can feel and we tag knows, and it's a well knows what you have been going through and what you've been suffering in the last 50 years. and with this deaf remembrance, me room number the victims and we sent our signal be sent, read it to those who grieve, that they are not alone,

that we fear with them. we cannot do what has been what was done undone, but we can help the family members and could not be able to alleviate their sorrow, but we can support them and actually can learn from that. and we can draw our consequences. ladies and gentlemen, i'm very happy and grateful that sher bureau v as somewhat her very detail and bureaucratic debate on the compensation for the family members has been brought to a good answer for has not always been a dignified way in which this discussion was held. but i'm pleased that we now have a good solution that is important for this company. this compensation is very important because germany bears a responsibility in the face of history. and the perpetrators were terrorist gangs . but nevertheless, a lot of mistakes were committed as the prime minister of the free state of bavaria . i have to say that we to committed mistakes. the police at that time was not

prepared for such a situation. the security architecture, my country was not correct for that. and i would like to apologize explicitly on behalf of the fairies, a fee state of bavaria for the failures and for the mistakes. and i would like also like to apologize for the long time that it has taken until we talk started talking about that and until we come up with a solution regarding the compensation. and we have learned from that. and i would like to ask you once again for your for your forgiveness. so this attack on the olympic games in 1972 will forever be linked to our country. this attack by shocked the world shocked germany and all of our and we can still feel its aftermath. they have never been an am olympic game so highly a lot of her elliptic hardly any other olympic games in the history of the olympic games. where there was so much cheerfulness and on the other hand,

so much sorrow and grief that where life and death were so closely connected, which at that is a games in 1972, it changed so much in bavaria and germany and also the world for us it was the beginning of munich, her turning into a cosmopolitan, a cosmopolitan city, but a lot of new buildings were built that sham. this was an enormous leap into modernity for munich. and we can still see the olympic cam park in munich, which is still being used in contrast to the olympic parks and many other cities. but this cheerfulness that joy, that we felt at those olympics, jane and games stopped rapidly, abruptly withers at his attack. what to say whether it was the right decision to continue the game said the day after something that we cannot say, but the fact at that time was that it still is. it still remains a fat effect that this attack change everything, the cheerful, ah games stopped abruptly and the dream became

a nightmare. and this place here where we are today was the aunt of abs out the place of harrow. and when we look at them and pictures of that time, and they are really horrendous and horrific, but we read newspaper reports of that and we still feel how absurd this was. this was there were journalists allowing m m a standing next to police officers who were not well trained to try to try to do something. and this a helicopter that was burned and it will be useless killing and deaths. and since that time, the family members some have had alive that she wasn't sure it was no long as it was before them died. the model them loved ones wanted to travel to olympic games look forward to that trained for that to and where they went to nick and what then, what did happen then? well, the family members in israel had to watch this horrific pictures,

and i experienced this enormous grief. and we have to learn from that. we have to continue to learn from that. i can say that on behalf of the federal freestate of bavaria never again or not only never again with regards to a difficult police situation, but also never again. meaning that we have to stand up to clearly against terrorism, but also against the am you view them as steps before that an amy and never again anti anti semitism. and i can give you personally, my promise that we and bavaria maliciously, protect, share, and jewish life in a bavaria. i want to should i have to be happy and free and protected in bavaria, that there are no threats for that. there was a small, a texas accommodate every day where people are attacked in the middle of the street where no one of freedom is so put into questionable people are offended her in the streets and we must not tolerated that. we must not allow that. and to the free state of bavaria is very much committed and works very at heart together with him,

george community and bavaria, with mister schuster and miss clark, i very much admire your heart work, your commitment. thank you very much for everything that should do. and for the courage that to your show here in our country. thank you for that. thank you. so was, let me put speaking about protection. the so include serve a protecting jewish life, protecting as synagogues are paying for that. we have a commission of for jewish life in bavaria, and we also recognize the holocaust, her definition as the 1st of federal state or in germany. i'm to our to want to say very explicitly we stant side by side with the state of israel. that is very important for me to say that my bank so because it is of course, be possible to criticize israel. and i think the strongest critic of her israel is

israel itself. and i think the constant changes of government in israel shows that there's a very vibrant democracy there. and that criticism is allowed. but the attempt of many to cover up perm antisemitism by criticize an e thread that is not at all acceptable. this is say, we aren't friends of israel not only because of our and his responsibility in the face of history, but i'm in lots of people who say, while be far historic responsibility, we have to am difference of israel. but this much beyond that there's a lot of things that we have in common. i come an idea of a free life or common idea of democracy and who is our counterpart in that region for freedom and the rule of law. and that is the state of israel, and therefore it was in acceptable for me that term president arbors at an official estate visiting as an official visit to germany, hamilton. and while mom said these words and term so are in acceptable words. you have to refute that immediately,

just not allowed to behave like that in germany. and we counter that very strictly . and we stand side by side to the state of israel as a friend, an as an ad, i mean free because we're only piece tolerance. another open mindedness, sir, it helps us to counter the challenges because all these attacks start in the mind. so absurd ideas, evil ideas, and you're talking at the 1st a threshold to this cross to so we have to come to hate speech as well. and to very has taken every matter to do that, and at some stage these ever words and ideas become evil deeds, and that is where we are graham, and therefore we gay. our give this said protector for this, a comprehensive promise of protection. so this, yes, not only a day of remembrance, but also a day of resolution and ha, and resolution

a day of resolution to counter all those all believe that they can act her like that in germany, i can only say never again. we have to memory. remember to gather and send out a signal for the future. one, welcome to bavaria and thank you for having come and thank you for commemorating together with the family members. thank you very much. with she searched by him. it is who usually been by on quite some time. finance minister president is resigning council cabinet here for trenton yest before frank vanished. i admire that on ship witness, president ah, david burger count on frigo. david burger and tom to dig a power 0 man. find joseph. good point. lisa eliza, huffing, years of hormonal, your civil model. i'm it sousa,

beaver. i'm it so shapiro. he had shaw couch shaw marks loving marks loving unless it's a andre spitzer, jacobo springer. jak of springer, missouri vineberg, marcia leinberger, excellent, honor family members as if a great excellencies london, honored representatives, federation, free state of bavaria, and the municipalities that using representatives of jewish life in our country, fellow citizens. and among the ladies and gentlemen, comes was unknown. so good with come together to day on so tal to remember and to mourn in so many people whom we more 12 people simply her aunt larkin, the girl lost their lives in buns with worse, carrots attacked the history of the then still young federal republic, 50 years ago, forkner we mourn 11 sportsman and

a police officer viewed as his partner, 11 of the jewish athletes, couches berries, and referees enough men can give. i had traveled to munich as part of these ready team, fiona, with high hopes afternoon and great ambitions. allah hoffman and the ball home home ended in a nightmare after weird, roughly mcfield as follows. h heavily armed members of the palestinian terrorist group, black september, knowing the symptoms of invaded the olympic village. the early hours of the 5th of september, 1972. they were completely unhindered as they took these rally sportsmen hosted with this one and cried. few and 2 of them were brutally murdered in the apartments at connelly strauss at 31 at the 9 others season or were killed. here i am with this places where the german emergency forces rescue operation. pas catastrophically failed to attend it in a blood bath felt use as part of the 11 cherry sportsmen were dead and mordred and