Protocols from '72 Munich massacre released

On September 5, 1972 at 8:45 am the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem received an urgent cable from the Israeli Embassy in the German city of Bonn: The rumors, conflicting reports and general uncertainty had turned into an awful reality – a terrorist attack in Munich against the Israeli delegation to the Olympic Games.

"According to a statement issued by the police, at 5 am this morning, a Palestinian group armed with machine guns attacked the Israeli Olympic delegation at the Olympic village in Munich," the historic cable read.

"According to an initial report the Arabs who infiltrated the delegation's residence killed the Israeli coach and apparently injured others. The assailants are holding hostages and are demanding to release Arabs, probably (held) in Israel. The police have blocked the area and the police commander is conducting negotiations with the kidnappers. The reports are unclear; Consul Shamir is making his way to the village," it read.

  

The cables are part of a collection of 45 documents that were released by the Israel State Archives on the 40th anniversary of the massacre.

The documents, which include cabinet meetings, ministerial consultations, meetings of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, reports and exchanges of cables, present the Israeli government's actions during the development of the drama, from its beginning until the conclusion and the aftermath.

The documents, which were written with a typing machine and remained classified for decades, describe the events behind the scene as they unfolded: How Israel followed the failed rescue mission, how the head of Mossad Zvi Zamir closely monitored the rescue mission and witnessed the massacre with his own eyes, the mixed feelings in Israel toward German authorities and the great anger toward the Olympic Committee, which decided to continue with the games.

Read More: Ynet