Moving Munich Olympic massacre commemoration held at Westminster

A moving ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre that killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches has taken place inside the Palace of Westminster.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Lord Polak, Lord Pickles, Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely, and representatives from the Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council were amongst those to attend the event, which featured poignant Psalm readings and the laying of wreaths.

Hosted by House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, the remembrance ceremony was instigated by Lord John Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, who suggested marking the significant anniversary of the terror attack by the Palestinian Black September group within the Palace of Westminster.

Speaker Chaplain Tricia Hillas opened the event, which took place outdoors in New Palace Yard, with a reading before Sir Hugh Robertson, chairman of the British Olympic Association spoke.

Ambassador Hotovely read Psalm 23 in both English and Hebrew, before the Chief Rabbi called for a moment of silence to be observed.

Rabbi Mirvis then recited the Kel Malech Rachamim prayer of mercy, before the names of the eleven victims of the attack were read out.

The Speaker, the Labour leader, who was joined by shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, and Lord Pickles, Lord Polak and Stephen Crabb were amongst those to then lay wreaths to remember those who died in the slaughter that shocked the world.

In a closing speech Speaker Hoyle recalled what he said was “one of the darkest chapters in Olympic history.”

Hoyle said the event in Westminster was held so “we come together today to reflect and remember them” and said the Olympic ideals gave us hope for a more peaceful future.

Also in attendance at the event were Keith Black and Claudia Mendoza from the JLC, Michael Weiger from the Board of Deputies, Danny Stone of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, Marc Levy of Manchester’s Jewish Rep Council, along with Sports Minister Nigel Huddlestone.

An unfortunate clash of timings meant many Conservative ministers and MPs were unable to attend, as the announcement of new Prime Minister Liz Truss was held at the the Westminster’s QEII Centre, starting just 30 minutes before the Munich commemoration.

Labour leader Starmer later told Jewish News that it had been “important” for both himself and his shadow home secretary to attend the “solemn occasion” to “make absolutely clear our commitment to a secure Israel.”

Cooper added she wanted to “show solidarity to those whose lives were lost” in the massacre as well as to “those who lost loved ones.”

She added: “We can never let terrorism or extremism divide us.”

JLC co-chief executive Mendoza said of the event:”It was a very fitting tribute to an awful moment in history.

“I hope people can learn from what took place 50 years ago, and as the Speaker said, take forward the positive aspects of the Olympic movement.”

Weiger, the Board’s chief executive, added: “It was totally appropriate that in the mother of our parliament people from the community, parliamentarians, and those from the diplomatic world took time out to reflect on the tragic events of Munich.”

Lord Mann recalled how the massacre had drawn huge television audiences 50 years ago in this country, with the majority of those owning TVs having tuned in to follow the progress of the country’s athletes.

“I think it framed the country’s attitude to Israel for a whole generation,” said Lord Mann.

He also branded those who now sought to downplay the impact of Palestinian terrorism on the current situation in the Middle East as “racists.”

Others peers and MPs to attend Monday’s event included Lord Wolfson, Labour MPs Christian Wakeford, Alex Davies-Jones, and Steve McCabe, along with the SNP’s Dr Lisa Cameron, the Conservative MP Rebecca Harris, allong with Commons Deputy Speakers Dame Eleanor Laing and Nigel Evans and Baroness Tami Grey-Thompson.