International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has accepted an invitation from the Israeli National Olympic Committee to attend a ceremony honoring the 50th anniversary of the Munich Olympics Games tragedy.
The ceremony will be held September 21 in Tel Aviv, and it will also mark the first visit by an IOC president to Israel since 2010.
“Since his election in 2013, President Bach has led countless innovative activities in many fields, has propelled the organization to the forefront and established himself an international and principled leader, said Yael Arad, head of Israel’s NOC.
“I am proud of his decision to join us in Israel for these fateful and important days for Israeli sports.”
Besides Bach, the ceremony will be attended by Culture and Sports Ministry and Minister Chili Tropper, President of Israel Isaac Herzog and families of the 11 victims killed that fateful day in 1972.
Bach is also scheduled to visit Yad Vashem, the president’s residence and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Earlier this month the Israeli families of the victims said they would boycott the official German ceremony due to “insufficient financial compensation from the German government.”
“I don’t want some Euros to be thrown in my direction. We are not going to accept that,” Ankie Spitzer, widow of Andrei Spitzer and spokeswoman for the families, told Reuters.
“We are not going to the memorial ceremony until Germany takes real responsibility, not only by words.”
Arad confirmed the Israeli Olympic Committee would not be in attendance in Germany as well.
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