Berlin (AP) – Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier received the famous President Izchak Herzog for a three-day state visit to Germany. Steinmeier welcomed Herzog and his wife Michal with appropriate honors at Bellevue Palace in Berlin on Sunday. Steinmeier’s wife Elke Büdenbender also attended the ceremony in the official residence of the Federal President.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wanted to receive the state guest on Monday. A walk through the Brandenburg Gate was then planned for Herzog with the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey (SPD). In the afternoon, the Herzog couple is expected to attend the 50th anniversary of the attack on numerous athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games at the air base in Fürstenfeldbruck near Munich. In addition to the survivors of the victims, Federal President Steinmeier also takes part in the commemoration.

Shortly before the anniversary, the federal government and the bereaved agreed on compensation of 28 million euros after decades of dispute. This avoided a scandal at the memorial event – for a long time it was unclear whether the bereaved and Herzog would take part.

On September 5, 1972, Palestinian terrorists attacked the reliable team at the Olympic Games in Munich. Eleven members of the team and one police officer were killed, most of them during the failed rescue operation by the police at the Fürstenfeldbruck air base. The safety precautions were considered inadequate. Steinmeier is expected to acknowledge Germany’s responsibility for the events at the commemoration event and ask the bereaved to apologize.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:220904-99-627001/2