Israeli Ambassador Tuvia Israeli has called for one minute of silence at this summer’s London Olympics in memory of Israeli athletes killed by terrorists at the 1972 Munich games.

“The terrible terrorist attack at the Munich Olympics, 40 years ago, not only murdered 11 Israeli athletes, but also hurt the Olympic spirit and the hope that one day peace will be a thing for all humanity,” Israeli said.

“Therefore, it is essential to remember and to remind of the Munich disaster for the younger generation and to try and prevent similar betrayal in the Olympic spirit.”

The ambassador voiced concerns also expressed by Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon in a new one-minute campaign video, in which he calls on the International Olympic Committee to devote a minute’s silence during the London Olympic Games opening ceremony in remembrance of the deaths.

The attack began on Sept. 5, 1972, when eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village in Munich. The attackers killed 11 athletes in total, demanding the release of 200 Arab inmates from Israeli prisons. One German police officer and five terrorists were also killed before the ordeal was over.

Israel has been campaigning for the commemoration to be included in the Olympic opening ceremony, but the IOC last week refused, saying that the slaughtered athletes are regularly remembered in other ways.

Ayalon said: “The request to hold a minute of silence is reasonable and symbolizes the solidarity of the countries participating in the Olympic Games ― it is undeniably the just and moral thing to do.”

His campaign has been joined by international organizations as well as 20 British MPs and U.S. congressmen including Nita Lowey and Eliot Engel, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.

By Kirsty Taylor (kirstyt@heraldcorp.com)