# A moment of silence for the athletes killed during "the Munich Massacre" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 27, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529 "2012-07-27T03:53:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/21 "2012-07-27T06:36:24Z")
A moment of silence isn’t going to hurt anyone, so why not? If people are butthurt about it, then they’ve got issues. However, it’s ultimately pageantry and ritual, so anyone who thinks it would be a major travesty if there was no moment of silence also has issues. If there had been a moment of silence previously, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. So let’s have it now and do the retrospective thing on TV so people can be educated, and then move forward. ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/22 "2012-07-27T07:54:52Z")
Is there something special about 40 years, or is the idea this happens every Olympics - just not grasping the significance of 40? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/23 "2012-07-27T09:21:49Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Do they regularly hold organized moments of silence for other Olympians who have died? Well, in Vancouver they held a moment of silence for the luge athlete from Georgia who was killed immediately before the games during his training run. And, there was also a moment of silence in Salt Lake City in 2002 for the victims of the 9/11 attack. But, as said by **Ibn Warraq** , has there been “another event in which a number of athletes were kidnapped, held hostage and then murdered”? In other words, the current ‘controversy’ has nothing to do with “other Olympians who have died”. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/24 "2012-07-27T09:25:53Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > Nothing, it’s simply a round number. I don’t think it has anything to do with the fact that it’s been 40 years. It’s that there has NEVER been any acknowledgement during an Olympic Games, not even during the '72 Games themselves! People are simply saying to the IOC that it’s about time (especially because the murdered athletes’ widows are getting older and won’t be around forever - it’s the widows who are leading the effort for the moment of silence). ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/25 "2012-07-27T09:35:34Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > The Israelis asked the IOC to hold a moment of silence during the upcoming Olympics in remembrance of those dead athletes and the IOC refused saying they didn’t want to take sides. > > The question I pose for the debate is whether or not the IOC is making the right decision or whether or not they should have held a moment of silence in remembrance of the “Munich massacre”? Just because Israel asked it is suddenly the decent thing to do? I can understand a first reaction, that it would maybe be proper to commemorate the event, as the olympic games have never done anything to commerorate it so far. Makes the committee look rather cold and heartless. But 40 years ago isn’t _that_ significant. Did we do it 10 years ago? When it was 25 years ago? If we do this, should we do it again in 5 years, or every 10 years? I agree that it may seem cold, or to some maybe cowardly, to not to do this but I think it is important that the games, and thus its committee, stay as far away from politics as possible. That was the whole idea behind the olympics! For a couple of weeks we forget our differences and enjoy the games. Together. I’m afraid admitting to this request, by Israel, would indeed set too much of a precedent. I already don’t like countries boycotting the games. The propaganda use of them by any organising countries is also irking, but that just cannot be totally avoided. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/26 "2012-07-27T09:57:52Z")
10 years ago there wasn’t a Summer Olympic Games in which to have the minute of silence on the exact anniversary. Too much of a precedent of what? Showing respect and remembrance of terrorism victims? That’s not something I mind seeing a precedent of. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/27 "2012-07-27T10:09:24Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > 10 years ago there wasn’t a Summer Olympic Games in which to have the minute of silence on the exact anniversary. > > Too much of a precedent of what? Showing respect and remembrance of terrorism victims? That’s not something I mind seeing a precedent of. Was there anything in Barcelona in 1992? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/28 "2012-07-27T10:17:49Z")
As far as I can tell no, but searching for that’s a bitch. ISTR it was requested but denied and that the denial was controversial given Spain’s own history of suffering from terrorism (including what up to that point had been the largest attack, which had taken place in Barcelona itself), but I don’t trust my memory after all this time. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/29 "2012-07-27T10:20:13Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > 10 years ago there wasn’t a Summer Olympic Games in which to have the minute of silence on the exact anniversary. Yep. With the summer Olympics happening every four years there would be no opportunity on most major anniversaries. No 10th, 15th, 25th, or 30th. The 1992 in Barcelona would have been a good time for a memorial, but since that didn’t happen this seems appropriate – ten summer Olympics later. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/30 "2012-07-27T14:39:52Z")
I don’t see why a moment to commemorate Olympic athletes who were kidnapped and murdered during the Olympic games, 40 years ago, is at all controversial. Is it because they were Jewish? The idea that Jews should not be kidnapped and murdered is controversial? I don’t think the notion of “even-handedness” is useful in this situation. That is, we don’t need to wait for Palestinian or Muslim athletes to be kidnapped and murdered to express the thought that kidnapping and murdering athletes is a Bad Thing. I don’t see why that is in any question. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/31 "2012-07-27T14:52:50Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > Just because Israel asked it is suddenly the decent thing to do? > > I can understand a first reaction, that it would maybe be proper to commemorate the event, as the olympic games have never done anything to commerorate it so far. Makes the committee look rather cold and heartless. > > But 40 years ago isn’t _that_ significant. Did we do it 10 years ago? When it was 25 years ago? > If we do this, should we do it again in 5 years, or every 10 years? > > I agree that it may seem cold, or to some maybe cowardly, to not to do this but I think it is important that the games, and thus its committee, stay as far away from politics as possible. > That was the whole idea behind the olympics! > For a couple of weeks we forget our differences and enjoy the games. Together. > > I’m afraid admitting to this request, by Israel, would indeed set too much of a precedent. > > I already don’t like countries boycotting the games. The propaganda use of them by any organising countries is also irking, but that just cannot be totally avoided. So then you were upset when in 1996, there was a moment of silence to remember the two people who in the Olympic bombing in Atlanta? You felt that set a bad precedent and mixed politics with the Olympics? ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/32 "2012-07-27T14:56:16Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > The Israelis asked the IOC to hold a moment of silence during the upcoming Olympics in remembrance of those dead athletes and the IOC refused saying they didn’t want to take sides. The current campaign for a moment of silence originated in the U.S., as a result of a petition by Steve Gold of the Jewish Community Center in Rockland, NY, working with Ankie Spitzer, that attracted popular support ([cite](http://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/70483/the-munich-petition-helped-world-remember), [x2](http://www.policymic.com/articles/11652/london-olympics-refuses-to-honor-israel-and-munich-terrorist-victims).) Alex Gilady, the Israeli IOC member, opposes the request because he “he would not give (Israel’s) enemies an excuse to boycott the Olympic Games.” I’m not sure it’s fair to say that “the Israelis” asked for this. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/33 "2012-07-27T15:07:36Z")
> [@PrettyVacant](#): > > Is there something special about 40 years, or is the idea this happens every Olympics - just not grasping the significance of 40? Maybe 4 doesn’t go into 10/30/50 evenly, but it does go into 20/40/60. ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/34 "2012-07-27T15:10:30Z")
Right. So years that end in a ‘2’. Hey, it could be a new trend … ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/35 "2012-07-27T15:10:35Z")
> [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > The current campaign for a moment of silence originated in the U.S., as a result of a petition by Steve Gold of the Jewish Community Center in Rockland, NY, working with Ankie Spitzer, that attracted popular support ([cite](http://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/70483/the-munich-petition-helped-world-remember), [x2](http://www.policymic.com/articles/11652/london-olympics-refuses-to-honor-israel-and-munich-terrorist-victims).) Alex Gilady, the Israeli IOC member, opposes the request because he “he would not give (Israel’s) enemies an excuse to boycott the Olympic Games.” I’m not sure it’s fair to say that “the Israelis” asked for this. According to Ha’aretz, which is where I first heard of this, it was “an Israeli request”. > [@](#): > > Palestinian Olympics president Jibril Rajoub recently sent a letter to the International Olympics president Jacques Rogge thanking him for opposing the Israeli request to hold a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims in the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, the Palestinian daily al-Hayat al-Jadida and the Palestinian Media Watch research institute have reported. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/36 "2012-07-27T15:25:20Z")
> [@Latro](#): > > Just because Israel asked it is suddenly the decent thing to do? > > \ > > I agree that it may seem cold, or to some maybe cowardly, to not to do this but I think it is important that the games, and thus its committee, stay as far away from politics as possible. > That was the whole idea behind the olympics! I draw the opposite conclusion. From their own Charter [(PDF link)](http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf): > [@Olympic Charter](#): > > 1. Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. > > 2. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. The killings of the athletes in '72 participating in the games in Munich was done for political reasons. Those athletes were supposed to be considered outside of politics, but somebody couldn’t keep their politics out of the Olympics. Why wouldn’t it be appropriate to note the fact that these athletes died while engaging in an ideal of a more peacefull global community? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/37 "2012-07-27T15:29:50Z")
> [@PrettyVacant](#): > > Right. So years that end in a ‘2’. > > Hey, it could be a new trend … 🙂 Knock yourself out. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/38 "2012-07-27T15:33:04Z")
If [this story](http://www.theblaze.com/stories/palestinian-delegation-thanks-olympic-committee-for-denying-moment-of-silence-to-honor-murdered-israelis/) is to be believed, a Palestinian delegation has thanked Olympics officials for denying the request. > [@](#): > > The head of the Palestinian Olympic delegation has thanked the International Olympic Committee for denying, again, requests to hold a moment of silence to honor the 11 Israeli athletes murdered at the 1972 Munich Olympics. > > In a letter sent Tuesday to IOC President Jacques Rogge, Jibril Rajoub said any show of solidarity with the victims would constitute “racism.” The Palestinian terror group Black September was responsible for the slayings. I wonder if the request was denied because officials thought it wouldn’t be honored and people in the audience would protest or snigger. edit: I see **Ibn Warraq** has already linked an article. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/39 "2012-07-27T15:46:50Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > According to Ha’aretz, which is where I first heard of this, it was “an Israeli request”. Having located [the article](http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/when-politics-become-an-olympic-sport.premium-1.453919?trailingPath=2.169%2C2.240%2C2.459%2C) (warning, will ask you to print, but it was the only direct link I could find) in question, it appears that Ha’aretz twice refers to Jibril Rajoub calling it an Israeli request. While they don’t correct or clarify his remarks, neither do they themselves ever directly make such a claim. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529/40 "2012-07-27T16:05:04Z")
> [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > Having located [the article](http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/when-politics-become-an-olympic-sport.premium-1.453919?trailingPath=2.169%2C2.240%2C2.459%2C) (warning, will ask you to print, but it was the only direct link I could find) in question, it appears that Ha’aretz twice refers to Jibril Rajoub calling it an Israeli request. While they don’t correct or clarify his remarks, neither do they themselves ever directly make such a claim. Except they don’t quote him, they refer to it as “an Israeli request”. Obviously not all the Israelis agree with it, but if it were merely a group of American Jews doing this without Israeli approval, Ha’aretz, which always draws such distinctions would have done so. > [@](#): > > Quote: > Palestinian Olympics president Jibril Rajoub recently sent a letter to the International Olympics president Jacques Rogge thanking him for opposing the Israeli request to hold a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims in the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, the Palestinian daily al-Hayat al-Jadida and the Palestinian Media Watch research institute have reported. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-athletes-killed-during-the-munich-massacre/629529.md?page=3)