German president: ‘Shameful’ it took 50 years for Munich massacre compensation

BERLIN — Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier admits it was “shameful” that it took five decades for Berlin to agree on compensation for the bereaved families of Israeli victims in the 1972 Munich Olympics attack.

“That it took 50 years to reach this agreement in the last days is indeed shameful,” says Steinmeier, standing next to his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog, together with whom the German leader will be attending a commemorations ceremony in Munich tomorrow.

A row over the financial offer previously made by Berlin to victims’ relatives had threatened to sour the ceremony, with families initially planning a boycott.

But a deal was finally agreed on Wednesday offering 28 million euros in compensation, and also for the first time sees the German state acknowledging its “responsibility” in failings that led to the carnage.

Steinmeier says he will address some of the German failings during his speech at the ceremony on Monday.

“I will speak about… some misjudgments, some misbehaviors and some errors made during the Games in Munich,” he says.

Herzog says the agreement brings “this painful episode to a place of healing.”

“I hope that from now on, we shall continue to remember, invoke, and most importantly reaffirm the lessons of this tragedy, including the importance of fighting terror, for future generations.”