Israel warned today that it would step up its actions against Arab terrorists and that “those who aid them” would be held responsible for their actions. The warning came in an official statement issued following a special session of the Cabinet this morning devoted to the aftermath of the massacre of 11 members of the Israeli Olympic squad by Arab terrorists in Munich. Premier Golda Meir expressed her appreciation for the West German decision to employ force against the terrorists.
The Cabinet statement condemned the murder of the Israelis and said that it proved for the world to see the real nature of Arab terrorism. It stated that the Israel government joined the families of the victims in their mourning. “Israel will continue its self-defense activities,” the statement said. “and will not exempt those who aid them from responsibility for the acts of the terrorists.” The statement continued, “The Israel government will appeal to governments and political bodies and demand the adoption of effective measures against cells and units of the terrorist organizations with the aim of paralyzing them and extirpating their bases.”
The statement said the Cabinet had decided on a “concentration of information” concerning both German and Israel security precautions before the attack and concerning the steps taken during the attack. This appeared to mean that an unofficial inquiry will be held with the Germans. The “relevant authorities” were asked to report back to the next Cabinet meeting which is scheduled for the Tuesday after Rosh Hashana.
The West German Ambassador, Jesco Von Puttkammer issued a statement on the events in Munich. Recalling the “shameful times of my country,” he branded the terrorists as “monsters” and said all Germans joined with Israelis in their sorrow.
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