London
Olympics Has All Except Respect For Jewish Blood
By
Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
Jerusalem,
Israel --- July 28, 2012 ... The London Olympics Opening Ceremonies
had it all. The Queen, James Bond, spectacular fireworks, inspirational
music, creative dancers, David Beckham, Mitt Romney, Michelle
Obama, Sir Paul McCartney, sky divers, Mary Poppins, and one very
funny Mr. Bean.
The
IOC and the London Olympics had everything - except simple respect
for those Olympians who were murdered at the Munich Games in 1972.
We
are not speaking Israelis. We are not even talking about Jews,
but rather members of the Olympic family who were kidnapped and
massacred by Palestinian terrorists.
The
IOC or International Olympic Committee has found every excuse
to ignore the Olympic dead during last night's Opening Ceremony.
They said that it was too political.
So
then why did the IOC honor
British dead during last night's Opening Ceremony?
Why were the victims of 9/11 remembered? Why were victims of Europe's
wars remembered?
But
not 11 Olympians?
Could
it be that they came from a place called Israel?
Could
it be that the 40 Arab nations that are taking part in these Olympics
threatened to boycott the Games if the Israelis were mentioned?
Could it be anti-Semitism which manifests itself historically
in the UK and is most recently illustrated by the BBC omitting
that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel?
If
not for NBC sportscaster Bob Costas no one would have heard or
seen anything.
Every
Olympic participant should now display a black arm band
and or a black ribbon to
remember their dead comrades on this 40th anniversary.
Costas
stated what many world leaders have voiced so far: "These
Olympic games mark the 40th anniversary of the 1972 tragedy in
Munich, when 11 Israel coaches and athletes were murdered by Palestinian
terrorists. There have been calls from a number of quarters for
the IOC to acknowledge that, with a moment of silence at some
point in tonight's ceremony. The IOC denied that request, noting
it had honored the victims on other occasions. And, in fact, this
week IOC president Jacques Rogge led a moment of silence before
about 100 people in the athlete's village here in London.
Still,
for many, tonight, with the world watching, is the true time and
place to remember those who were lost, and how and why they died."
Shame
on Jacques Rogge and the members of the IOC. Shame on them for
ignoring murdered members of the Olympic family while paying a
minute of silence to British dead. Shame on Jacques Rogge and
the IOC for appeasing terrorism last night.
The
only thing worse than what we witnessed at the Munich Olympics
where the dead were honored was last night's insensitive and total
disrespect for the victim's families. Disrespect for every Olympic
athlete who sacrifices hours, days, weeks and years to become
an Olympian.
"Jacques
Rogge, you have let terror win once again," said Illana Romano,
the widow of murdered Israel weightlifter Yossef Romano.
Romano spoke
Wednesday at a London news conference. An event that should never
had been called for as honoring Olympic dead should be a priority
at the opening or closing ceremonies. She was joined by Ankie
Spitzer, wife of murdered Israel fencing coach Andrei Spitzer,
in a sad, desperate plea for a small degree of human decency that
should have been granted long ago
Perhaps nothing
has been more indecent and disgraceful than the recent exchange
between Spitzer and Rogge, who told her that "in this matter
that his hands were tied".
"Your
hands are tied?" Spitzer responded. "My husband's hands
were tied. So were his feet."
.
The
Israeli Olympic Team walked into the stadium last night with symbolic
black handkerchiefs tucked into their blue Olympic blazers.
They
and every Olympic participant should now display a black arm band
and or a black ribbon to remember their dead comrades on this
40th anniversary.
If
the IOC cannot illustrate responsible leadership, then it is up
the Olympians to do so.
The
Olympians who were shot during the initial break-in in Munich
were Moshe Weinberg (wrestling coach) and Yossef Romano (weightlifter).
Those Olympians who were shot and then murdered by Palestinian
terrorists with grenades in helicopters where they were sitting
were Ze'ev Friedman (weightlifter), David Berger (weightlifter),
Yakov Springer (weightlifting judge), Eliezer Halfin (wrestler),
Yossef Gutfreund (wrestling referee), Kehat Shorr (shooting coach),
Mark Slavin (wrestler), Andre Spitzer (fencing coach) and Amitzur
Shapira (track coach).
May
their memories be for a blessing for those athletes who survived
and keep the Olympic spirit of peace alive.
Joel Leyden - bringing the news from Israel online since 1995.
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Articles and opinions in the Israel News Agency reflect
the thoughts of individual writers
and do not necessarily reflect those of the views of other staff writers and the publisher of the Israel News Agency.