On Sept. 5, 1972, eight Palestinian militants broke into a dormitory at the Olympic village where Israeli athletes and coaches were sleeping and took them hostage. After two of the Israelis were shot and killed, the militants had nine hostages and said they would release them in exchange for more than 200 Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel. The Israeli hostages and their captors were taken by helicopters to a military airfield, where they had been promised to be flown to Cairo. Instead, West German sharpshooters tried to rescue the Israelis, setting off a gunfight in which five Palestinians, a German police officer and the nine hostages were killed. Recently, the International Olympic Committee has rejected proposals from the Israeli government and United States representatives to hold a moment of silence at the 2012 Olympic Games in honor of the 40th anniversary of this tragedy, known as the Munich Massacre. A moment of silence would serve as recognition of the victims’ sacrifices and a show of unity against global terrorism. Please sign this petition in order to hold a moment of silence to honor the athletes and coaches whose dreams were tragically destroyed 40 years ago.

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