Black September

A couple of years ago Nahar & Norharyati gave me Simon Reeve's book One Day In September as a birthday present. It's an account of the terrorist attack launched at the Munich Olympics in 1972, and the aftermath thereof, chiefly in terms of the retribution wrought on the supposed perpetrators by successive Israeli governments. I dipped into it when I first got it, mainly for the stuff about the original attack, but didn't try to read it cover to cover. I usefully put that right over the weekend and was glad I did since I found the book illuminating in several respects.

First of all, it's worth saying that Reeve gives a remarkably even-handed account of what took place. His sympathies lie with all who experienced loss and suffering and since this applies to just about everyone involved there's a powerful effort going on to understand what motivated and continues to motivate the key players. Oddly the only real sustained anger is directed at the ineptitude of the German cover-up of the events at the final massacre at the Furstenfeldbruck airfield. I can remember reading about the rescue attempt the day after it actually took place and even then being puzzled by just how badly it worked out. Now I have some understanding of why this was, an understanding which confirms one of my core beliefs: it's amazing how often those in high authority simply screw-up big time (and don't like to say so.)

Secondly, reading the book in sequence fosters an understanding of the utter pointlessness of killing in revenge. I know this sounds platitudinous but that doesn't make it any less true. As the bodies mount up, and there are lots of them, the understanding grows that one is moving further and further from any kind of justice, any kind of resolution.

Thirdly, quite a number of characters emerge from the narrative with real credit in their attempts to understand the nature of what they get caught up in and rise above the limitations of seeing everything just from the side they happen to be on. When this involves a degree of forgiveness for those who have hurt them so deeply it's particularly moving. In that respect the book is unexpectedly hopeful.