German head of state Frank-Walter Steinmeier asked "forgiveness" from the relatives of the Israeli victims of the hostage-taking at the Munich Olympics in 1972, taking responsibility for the various "failures" that accompanied this tragedy, during Monday's commemorations of the attack.
“As the head of state of this country and on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany, I ask your forgiveness for the lack of protection of the Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics and for the lack of explanation afterwards. ;
for the fact that what happened could have happened”, declared Mr. Steinmeier, in Munich, to the families of the eleven Israeli athletes killed in this attack which occurred fifty years ago.