German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Israeli President Isaac Herzog have praised an agreement on compensation for the survivors of the assassination of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games.
"It is indeed shameful that it has taken 50 years to reach this understanding in the last few days," Steinmeier admitted on Sunday at a press conference with Herzog during his three-day state visit to Germany.
However, Steinmeier said he was convinced that "this does not remain a case that in any way strains German-Israeli relations for the present or the future."
Herzog said that understanding allows people to deal with mistakes and human tragedies and to learn from them for the future. Terrorism must "not be allowed to disrupt the idea of the Olympic Games."
On Monday, Steinmeier plans to join Herzog at the air base in Fürstenfeldbruck near Munich for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Olympic attack in which Palestinian terrorists attacked the Israeli team.
Eleven members of the team and one policeman were killed, most of them in the failed police rescue operation at the Fürstenfeldbruck air base.
After decades of dispute, the German government agreed with the bereaved families on a compensation payment of €28 million ($27.87 million) only shortly before the anniversary.
The deal avoided a scandal as it had been unclear for some time whether the bereaved families and Herzog would take part in the commemoration ceremony.
Steinmeier said he was "happy and relieved" about the agreement. He was very grateful to Herzog for "always keeping channels open for possible solutions."
"We both welcome the outcome of the talks." He knew, however, that "nothing can heal the deep wounds of 50 years," Steinmeier said.
Herzog said, according to a translation from the presidential office, that he thanked Steinmeier "for his unwavering moral commitment to historical justice."
Steinmeier's personal commitment had ultimately made a breakthrough possible, he said. "I appreciate and honour your efforts to help this painful event heal."
On a very personal note, Herzog said his wife Michal's uncle had also been in Munich for the Olympics at the time. The uncle, he said, was now 90 years old and had only begun to talk about his experiences on that Saturday. "He never told us anything about it," Herzog said.
