Newly uncovered documents highlight international cooperation behind Israel’s pursuit of justice for murdered athletes at 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
Newly revealed documents published Wednesday by the Guardian shed light on the Mossad’s covert operation to eliminate those responsible for the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. The report confirms that Israel received intelligence assistance from several Western nations in executing Operation “Wrath of God,” a campaign to track down and eliminate the terrorists involved.
The massacre occurred during the Munich Olympics when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes. In response, Israel launched a covert mission to bring the perpetrators to justice. According to the documents, the US, Switzerland, France, Italy, and West Germany were among the countries that quietly provided intelligence support to Israel, despite the lack of public or parliamentary oversight at the time.
The intelligence shared included telegrams identifying high-risk individuals and detailing tactics used by Palestinian terrorist groups. These communications formed a crucial foundation for Israel’s targeted operations.Newly revealed documents published Wednesday by the Guardian shed light on the Mossad’s covert operation to eliminate those responsible for the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. The report confirms that Israel received intelligence assistance from several Western nations in executing Operation “Wrath of God,” a campaign to track down and eliminate the terrorists involved.
The massacre occurred during the Munich Olympics when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes. In response, Israel launched a covert mission to bring the perpetrators to justice. According to the documents, the US, Switzerland, France, Italy, and West Germany were among the countries that quietly provided intelligence support to Israel, despite the lack of public or parliamentary oversight at the time.
The intelligence shared included telegrams identifying high-risk individuals and detailing tactics used by Palestinian terrorist groups. These communications formed a crucial foundation for Israel’s targeted operations.
Before each operation, then-Prime Minister Golda Meir insisted on verifying that the targets were indeed terrorists. This verification often relied on intelligence provided by the international partners within the secret coalition.
While the newly released documents suggest that the operation was likely legal, the absence of transparency would have likely sparked significant political controversy had the cooperation been disclosed at the time.
The revelations highlight the extensive and discreet international support that underpinned Israel’s efforts to combat global terrorism in the wake of the Munich atrocity.
