Ayalon won’t stay quiet over Olympic refusal to grant moment of silence
Deputy foreign minister starts social media petition for tribute to 1972 Munich victims
Danny Ayalon is refusing to keep quiet over the International Olympic Committee’s refusal to grant a moment of silence for the victims of the 1972 Munich massacre.
The deputy foreign minister has started a social media campaign to sway the IOC to reconsider its rejection of Israel’s request to hold a moment of silence for the murdered Israeli athletes.
Ayalon recorded a one-minute video — the same amount of time he wants from the IOC — in which he calls on viewers to sign an online petition and start a twitter trend in favor of the moment of silence.
Israel requested a moment of silence at the opening ceremony for London’s 2012 Olympics to memorialize the 40th anniversary of the Munich terrorist attack in which 11 Israeli team members were murdered.
International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge rejected the proposal Monday.
“The IOC has officially paid tribute to the memory of the athletes on several occasions.” Rogge wrote. “Within the Olympic family, the memory of the victims of the terrible massacre in Munich in 1972 will never fade away.”