TEL AVIV – The Tokyo Olympics opened for the Israelis as a sign of victory, the headline was Haaretz after the ceremony on Friday. A few hours later the first, unexpected bronze in women’s Taekwondo would arrive, but the victory celebrated was above all that of the minute of silence for which Ilana Romano and Ankie Spitzer have fought for 49 years.
Romano, a father born in the province of Pistoia, and Spitzer, a Dutchman who arrived in Israel for love, met at the Ben Gurion airport on September 6, 1972, while they were waiting for the coffin of their husbands, two of the eleven Israeli athletes killed at the Munich Olympics by a commando of the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September.
“We have heard several times: ‘The dead mourn in cemeteries, not at the Olympics”. But Ankie and I, we traveled the world, from one Olympics to another, at our expense, to meet whoever was willing. Once we asked Jacques Rogge: “But if it had been another state, would you have behaved like this?”. He replied “Maybe not”. It was so humiliating to see how politics can trample sporting values. But we have not given up ». Ilana speaks to us from Tokyo, where she arrived with Ankie, as for all the last 12 Olympics. «The minute of silence came like an unexpected dream. I was 26 when I promised our three daughters that no one would forget who their father and his companions were. I still don’t believe it, I was afraid that I would leave this burden to my daughters ».
When did your battle start?
“In 1976 we went to the Montreal Olympics, for us it was taken for granted that there would be a commemoration. Instead nothing. The IOC has always surrendered to the opposition of the Arab countries. The climax of the battle was at the London Olympics in 2012, in the 40th anniversary of the massacre. Then several parliaments around the world, including the Italian one, observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims. But we continued our battle for the recognition to take place on Olympic soil ».
Did you know it would have been different in Tokyo?
“We met Thomas Bach who had just taken over from Rogge as director of the IOC and he made us understand that he wanted to put aside the absurd political logic. He is a sportsman, he was in Monaco in ’72 as an athlete. In Rio he promoted for the first time a commemoration inside the Olympic Village, a first step. We met him again in Lausanne last year, again insisting on the minute of silence. He said he would think about it and then we didn’t know anything more. Despite the fears for Covid, we have decided to come to Tokyo for the usual commemoration that we organize with the Israeli delegation.
Then we got an invitation to the opening ceremony. We thought it was something special, given the exclusivity of the Games this year, but we didn’t have any details. As the ceremony begins, Ankie tells me “I have a feeling that nothing will happen this time either.” Suddenly, a squeeze in the stomach: the ceremony opens and our loved ones are remembered ».
In the context of the minute of silence for the victims of Covid, and with a rather generic reminder.
“I haven’t seen the video yet. We lived it live, choked with tears, without warning. We heard that the Israeli victims of Munich were remembered and as we did billions of people in the world and this is what counts for us, not to forget, so that it does not repeat itself ».
Do you think the Abrahamic Accords played a role in softening positions?
“I do not know. I think Bach made the right decision that had to be taken 49 years ago and not out of politics: they were killed on Olympic ground, they were sportsmen, so it was the Committee’s duty to honor them. I find it so wrong to mix sports and politics. But it continues to happen: the Algerian judoka still did not want to compete with the Israeli. And I’ll tell you more: how do I get out of the ceremony, who am I in front of? Jibril Rajoub (the president of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, ed). He has always been one of the most fervent opponents of the ceremony, but I imagine that like the others he respected the minute of silence ».
Have you spoken?
“No. Even if we are in the same hotel and have breakfast next to each other ».
In all these years, have you never had interactions with Arab sportsmen?
“In Atlanta, in 1996, it was the first time for the Palestinian delegation. We brought 14 children of the victims with us. The orphans of the Munich athletes welcomed the entry of Palestinian athletes like everyone else. Then we did our customary commemoration with the Jewish community and the head of the Palestinian delegation came to kiss my daughter on the forehead. The first and last time they participated in the ceremony ».
And now, are you resting?
“Now we are thankful that we have come to this moment. And we hope that from now on it will be included in the protocol of the inaugural ceremonies ».
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