In 1972, an Islamic terror group, Black September, slaughtered the entire Israel Olympic Team at the Munich Olympics. The group stormed the Olympic Village taking the athletes hostage, and demanded the release of fellow militants in Israel and Germany. The inept German government botched the operation from the start and in the end Black September gunned down all of the Israelis. The government of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir resolved to hunt down the murders and those who planned the operation (Operation Wrath of God).

This year, acclaimed film director and producer, Steven Spielberg will release “Munich” a film that chronicles the events that followed the terror attack on the Munich Olympics. The film, which is slated to be released later this month, has already come under attack. Some argue the film portrays the events following Munich as “score settling.” Many Israelis are up in arms over the film. They argue the reprisal killings carried out by Israel’s hyper secret service, the Mossad, were designed to prevent future terror attacks, which it was, but even if it wasn’t what’s wrong with revenge, what’s wrong with retribution? Yes Israel had a score to settle and rightly so. One could argue the US had a score to settle after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor or after the September 11th terror attacks. Does that mean our response was any less justified? Certainly not!

Since when is it wrong to punish a murderer for their evil deeds? Israel, was wholly within its right to hunt down the perpetrators of slaughter and terrorism as it not only eliminates the possibility of future mayhem committed by these madmen, but it also serves as a lesson to other potential terrorists who may harbor similar designs.
Link to Reuters article