In light of Munich

Gil Troy’s “Munich massacre: ‘The-Games-Will-Go-Onism’ inflamed Palestinian Nazism” (Center Field, September 6) evoked deep-seated memories for me.

I attended the 1972 Olympics in Germany and was excited to see Lasse Viren run. I saw Mary Peters, from my then-home country, the UK, obtaining Gold in the pentathlon. Above all, I felt a deep sense of pride in seeing a Jewish athlete, swimmer Mark Spitz, beat all in a Germany where less than 30 years previously we Jews had suffered our darkest times.

However, none of the above prepared me as I made my way to my car from the Olympic stadium to catch my plane home. I witnessed a major commotion of police and soldiers running toward the athletes’ village but was unaware what was happening until I viewed it on the airport’s TV screens while waiting for my flight.

What amazed me – perhaps naively – was that there was no consideration to abandon the games after such a heinous, murderous act, only a short delay and a little hand-wringing with a message that the Olympian ideals must carry on. Since then, at every subsequent Games, there has been scant recognition of that very dark day.

The Israeli response to this cold-blooded act of terror was the only possible one – the targeting of those who sent the murderers – to show that this nation-state will not tolerate such crimes amidst the world’s apathy. How apt this is now that terror is reaching many other shores. STEPHEN VISHNICK Tel Aviv

With regard to “From the Olympic village to global jihad” (My Word, September 8), Liat Collins is always one of my first reads when I get the Friday Jerusalem Post. Her comments are always so relevant, but this time she hit a personal note.

I, too, decided to make aliya after the Munich massacre. Born and brought up in England, to where my parents had escaped from Czechoslovakia in 1939, I never experienced antisemitism, yet I knew I had to be in Israel. This decision changed my life, and in 1973, we came to Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated on many occasions that terror is terror, wherever it may be, and we expect the world to condemn terror in Israel just as it condemns terror elsewhere. President Reuven Rivlin reiterated that terror must be condemned unequivocally everywhere. But unfortunately, they do not practice what they preach.

Last January 3, our son, Guy, was shot dead by a homegrown Arab terrorist as he was walking in a Haifa street. His murder fell under the radar. None of our MKs or ministers, Left or Right, had any words to say. None came to the funeral. None came to the Shiva. None came to the memorial.

I wrote to Haifa-born Education Minister Naftali Bennett, asking if he could say a few words at the memorial. I received a reply: “Hoping you have a good day. The minister will get back to you shortly.” That was over eight months ago. Likewise, President Rivlin’s secretary – who, after getting over the shock as to how I managed to find her number – did reply, saying the president was going abroad but I would be invited to the residence when he got back. I do not need such a visit, but some reaction would have been in place.

No Muslim community leader felt the necessity to apologize or come to us either.

We received a printed letter from Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav. The mayor of Nesher, where Guy lived, did visit us, as did the head of the Hof Hacarmel Regional Council, where we live.

All I can say is hypocrisy rules the waves. Perhaps no one is willing to admit that Haifa is no longer the coexistence exemplar we pretend it is. If nothing is done, we can only expect worse, as whole generations of Haifa Arabs grow up in an atmosphere of hatred.

Meanwhile, Guy, an honest, hard-working citizen who served his country in both Lebanon and Gaza, and brought joy to the disabled children he drove and cared about so dearly, received no respect from our elected representatives. He surely deserved better. BERTHA CAFREY Ofer