Israel must formally declare Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas responsible for the 1972 Munich massacre, the Students for Israel movement appealed to the Ministry of Defense Tuesday.
From September 5-6 1972, masked terrorists stormed the apartments where Israeli athletes were staying in the Olympic Village for the 1972 Munich games. The terrorists took the athletes as hostages and demanded the release of 200 Arabs from Israeli prisons.
After several tense hours, the terrorists killed the Israeli athletes. Nonetheless, the Games continued for several hours afterward.
Over the past several years, it has been revealed on multiple occasions that Abbas was closely linked to Munich mastermind Abu Daoud.
Abbas praised Abu Daoud in 2010, saying "he was one of the leading figures of Fatah and spent his life in resistance and sincere work as well as physical sacrifice for his people's just causes."
Later, attorney Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of the Shurat Hadin Israel Law Center, has exposed that Abbas in fact provided the financing for the Munich attack.
But the State of Israel must formally recognize Abbas's role in financing the attack, Chairman of the Students for Israel movement Eliyahu Nissim stated Tuesday.
"After the terrible massacre of the Munich eleven, the Israeli government, headed by Golda Meir, vowed to settle accounts with all those involved and implemented a number of measures to bring justice to the terrorists who were involved in planning and implementing [the attack]," Nissim stated. "However, for reasons we consider to be political rather than substantive, the person who was responsible for financing the cause of the massacre, aka Abu Mazen [Abbas -ed.], has not officially recognized by the State of Israel as one of those involved in promoting the massacre."
"In recent months, we've collected evidence and findings prove beyond doubt the involvement of Abbas terrible massacre at the Olympics," Nissim continued. "As is known, the attack was carried out by the 'Black September' organization, which was set up at the initiative of [Yasser] Arafat's Fatah organization; Abbas served as executive in charge of finances."
Nissim noted that PA involvement in the Munich massacre is already well-known.
"In fact, Abbas' involvement in the terrorist attack is well known to the public and to the families of the victims," he said. "Years ago, Ilana Romano, the widow of Yosef Romano hy"d, who was among the 11 who were slaughtered in Munich, said in an interview with Yediot Aharonot that she is 'in possession of a tape in which Abbas admits his involvement in the murder of the athletes.' He was the Minister of Finance of murder,' Romano said at the time. 'We know that after many years of follow-up that Abbas was finance minister in the murder of Munich and was the one who brought the money from Saudi Arabia to finance the operation."
"If the Ministry of Defense has any of doubts about Abbas's involvement in the massacre of Israeli athletes, we must take the chance to prove it and bring forth evidence," Nissim continued. "Even if there were such doubts in the past, they have been removed over the years as more details about the massacre and those involved began to accumulate to the point of providing a very clear picture of the true story. Now we only require formal recognition of what is known and clear to all."
"Forty-two years after the massacre of Israeli athletes have come and gone, but we believe that is never too late for justice," Nissim concluded. "The facts say that today Abbas is [still] inciting terrorism and financing terrorism on a regular basis, including through streaming salaries and bonuses to murderous terrorists imprisoned in Israel."
"Unfortunately, the Israeli government allows him to wear a different hat every day, as he wants it - one moment the terrorist hat, one moment the moderate hat," he continued. "It's time we look reality in the face and remember that Abbas is not only involved in terrorism and financing terrorism now, but also for the past 45 years."
"We hope and expect that our request be granted, but to do so we would also examine the possibility of appealing to the High Court and presenting the findings to prove the involvement of Abbas in the Munich massacre in court."