Managing the Munich Massacre, 1972
50 years ago, eight members of a Palestinian military offshoot, The Black September Organization, stormed the Munich Olympic Village taking 11 Israeli athletes captive and sending the world into 20 hours of chaos. A reflection of the deeply-rooted conflict between Israel and Palestine and a defining point in modern terrorism, this conflict combines hundreds of years of religious and ethnic tension with an intense emergency response. Involving Olympic Committee members, German police, and Prime Minister Golda Meir, the response to the Munich Massacre spanned from global leaders to municipal emergency response teams. In this specialized committee, delegates will represent the myriad of involved parties that responded live to the Munich Massacre. It will be a General Assembly set-up but feature crisis-like updates to simulate the pressure and quick-nature answers needed to secure the captured athletes’ safety. This topic of debate will likely induce a wide range of opinions and thus should be approached with respect because while the Munich Massacre has faded into history, the implications behind it are still present today. Delegates should come into this committee asking themselves what is the best response to the hostage situation and can our reactions and problem solving save the lives of the captured?
Please note this committee will be run as a traditional General Assembly with some elements of Crisis (such as Crisis Updates). However, delegates in this committee will be working towards generating Resolution Papers rather than Directives. Please follow the General Assembly Position Paper format.
Jenny Jacoby
Chair
My name is Jenny Jacoby, a sophomore at UM majoring in Ecosystem Science and Policy and Political Science with a minor in Arabic Studies. I am chairing the Managing the Munich Massacre 1972 Committee and excited to engage in thorough and high quality debate with all of you over the course of the weekend. As a member of the MUN team, I hope to see serious engagement with the topic and participation from all members. The topic is to be regarded with respect and sincerity, and I expect all committee members to approach it as such. My goal is to establish a thorough understanding of the policy and approach solutions that align with these policies while looking for methods of cooperation and collaboration. I look forward to high engagement and strong resolutions that address the issue. If you have any questions, please reach out to me.