The Israeli embassy in Brussels held an event prior to the 50th anniversary of the Munich terrorist attack in collaboration with IMAJ, a Jewish organization established to preserve Jewish tradition and culture through films. As part of the event, the film “After Munich” was screened in a movie theatre in the center of Brussels. The film, directed by Francine Zuckerman, a Canadian director, is about the aftermath of the Munich Olympic massacre of eleven Israeli athletes in 1972 and how the event changed four women’s lives forever. The film deals with the place of the media in the coverage of terrorist events, the long-term implications of the event, and the importance of its memory.
The event was open to the general public and was attended by German ambassadors to Belgium and the European Union, as well as representatives of the royal family. Israel’s ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, spoke about the involvement of the same Black September terrorist organization just a few months before Munich in the hijacking of a Belgian plane with 97 people in it. The ambassador spoke about the choice of the Olympics, an event that marks the connection of cultures and the countries of the world as a theater for the terrible attack that represents the exact opposite. The hall was filled to capacity, and the audience showed great interest.
In Munch, the 50th anniversary is being marked each month throughout 2022. Every month one victim will be the focus of attention. Various activities in public spaces are planned, ranging from installations lasting the entire month to activities on one specific day.