Tel Aviv/Munich (dpa/lby) - Almost a week before the commemoration ceremonies in Munich, the relatives of the Israeli victims of the 1972 Olympic attack are still hoping for an agreement in the compensation dispute with the federal government. Negotiations are still ongoing, said Ankie Spitzer of the German Press Agency on Tuesday. In principle, however, one hopes for a positive outcome, according to the widow of fencing coach André Spitzer.
Spitzer emphasized that, contrary to media reports, the victims' families had not reduced their demands. You would have mentioned a very clear minimum. "If not, then there is no agreement," said Spitzer. However, she did not want to name a specific amount. The lawyers would possibly inform the families on Tuesday evening whether there is an agreement or not, said Spitzer, who was on her way to a memorial service in the Netherlands.
The Israeli newspaper "Jediot Achronot" wrote on Tuesday that the federal government had recently significantly increased its offer. The victims' families rejected an original German offer of 5.5 million euros as insulting. The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" wrote that the relatives had significantly reduced their demands. But it is still just under 30 million euros.
Spitzer said that if an agreement was reached, the survivors could still attend the commemoration ceremony in Munich on September 5th.
On September 5, 1972, Palestinian terrorists attacked the Israeli team at the Olympic Games in Munich. Eleven members of the team and one policeman were killed. The safety precautions were considered inadequate, and an attempt by the German forces to free them ended in disaster. Adequate compensation for the survivors of the attack 50 years ago has been a struggle for decades. They also demand an apology.
