ISRAEL 12-23 Jul 2009 World's Jewish athletes compete at 18th Maccabiah Games

Thousands of Jewish athletes from 50 countries will compete in the 18th Maccabiah Games in July. The event, sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics," is held every four years. Worries that it represents a high-profile target for Palestinian militants seeking vengeance for Israel's destruction in Gaza, could decide some athletes against traveling to Israel. Athletes have been targets in the past, most notably in 1972, when Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.

Jed Margolis, executive director of Maccabi USA Sports for Israel, which will send a team of 990 American athletes, said on Jan 19 that proper precautions will be in place to keep all the athletes safe.

Eight Palestinian militants from the Black September group invaded the Olympic Village on 5 Sep 1972 and killed two members of the Israeli team. Nine other Israelis were held hostage as the terrorists bargained for the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners in Israel. All the hostages, five of their captors and a West German policeman were slain in a failed rescue attempt. The Olympic Games continued, but serious questions were raised about the handling of the crisis by the Munich police.

The international event, first held in Palestine in 1932, includes Olympic events such as track and field, swimming, water polo, fencing, boxing, wrestling, soccer, basketball, tennis, table tennis and volleyball. It also includes non-Olympic events, such as karate. Jan/09

RELATED READING:

18th Maccabiah Games
http:// www.maccabiusaapp.com

Israeli athletes slain (Encyclopedia Britannica)
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/972561/Munich-Olympic-Games

Olympic Hostages killed in gun battle (BBC 6 Sep 1972)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/6/newsid_2500000/2500769.stm