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GERMANY AND ISRAEL

Germany in talks on further payout for 1972 Olympics victims

The German government says it is in talks over further compensation for victims of the attack on the Munich Olympics, as the 50th anniversary of the atrocity approaches.

Posters for the 1972 Olympics, taken at the preview of the
Posters for the 1972 Olympics, taken at the preview of the "Olympia 72" exhibition in September 2010 in Munich. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Frank Leonhardt

Ahead of the commemoration in September, relatives of the Israelis killed have indicated they are unhappy with what Germany is offering.

“Conversations based on trust are taking place with representatives of the victims’ families,” a German interior ministry spokesman told AFP when asked about the negotiations.

He did not specify who would benefit or how much money had been earmarked, saying only that any package would “again” be financed by the federal government, the state of Bavaria and the city of Munich.

On September 5th, 1972, eight gunmen broke into the Israeli team’s flat at the Olympic village, shooting dead two and taking nine Israelis hostage, threatening to kill them unless 232 Palestinian prisoners were released.

West German police responded with a bungled rescue operation in which all nine hostages were killed, along with five of the eight hostage-takers and a police officer.

An armed police officer in a tracksuit secures the block where terrorists  held Israeli hostages at the Olympic Village in Munich on 5th September 1972.

An armed police officer in a tracksuit secures the block where terrorists held Israeli hostages at the Olympic Village in Munich on 5th September 1972. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Horst Ossingert

The spokeswoman for the victims’ families, Ankie Spitzer, told the German media group RND that the amount currently on the table was “insulting” and threatened a boycott of this year’s commemorations.

She said Berlin was offering a total of €10 million including around €4.5 million already provided in compensation between 1972 and 2002 — an amount she said did not correspond to international standards. 

“We are angry and disappointed,” said Spitzer, the widow of fencing coach Andre Spitzer who was killed in the attack. “We never wanted to talk publicly about money but now we are forced to.”

RND reported that the German and Israeli governments would like to see an accord by August 15th.

The interior ministry spokesman said that beyond compensation, Germany intended to use the anniversary for fresh “historical appraisal, remembrance and recognition”.

He said this would include the formation of a commission of German and Israeli historians to “comprehensively” establish what happened “from the perspective of the year 2022”.

This would lead to “an offer of further acts of acknowledgement of the relatives of the victims of the attack” and the “grave consequences” they suffered.

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GERMAN CITIZENSHIP

REVEALED: The new questions being added to Germany’s citizenship test

Foreigners who want to naturalise as Germans will soon have to tackle a range of new questions that are being added to the citizenship test. Here's what to expect.

REVEALED: The new questions being added to Germany's citizenship test

As Germany prepares to introduce its major reform of citizenship laws, a slightly more subtle change is also on the way: the Interior Ministry has drafted a range of new questions to add to the citizenship test.

The news comes after months of pressure on the government to find a way to clamp down on anti-Semitism and racism while also loosening up the restrictions on citizenship.

According to Spiegel, there are 12 new questions that are likely to become part of the citizenship test, covering everything from the history of Jews in Germany to the founding of the state of Israel, as well as specific questions that tackle forms of anti-Semitism.

READ ALSO: Why Germany is shaking up citizenship test questions

Following an ordinance from the Interior Ministry, they will be added to the official selection of citizenship test questions, pushing the number of potential questions up to 322 (including 10 questions that are specific to your federal state). 

Of these, 33 are selected for each test, and you have to get at least 17 right in order to pass. 

We’ve listed the new questions below in English and have highlighted the correct answers.

Let’s see how many you can get right! 

Germany’s new citizenship test questions

Where do the majority of Jews who currently live in Germany come from?

1. Israel
2. Former Soviet Union countries 
3. The USA
4. From Western Europe

How many years ago was there a Jewish community in what is now Germany for the first time?

1. Around 300 years ago
2. Around 700 years ago
3. Around 1150 years ago
4. Around 1700 years ago

Who can become a member of the 40 or so Jewish Maccabi sports clubs?

1. Only Germans
2. Only Israelis
3. Only religious people
4. Everyone 

Which cities have the largest Jewish communities in Germany?

1. Berlin and Munich
2. Hamburg and Essen
3. Nuremberg and Stuttgart 
4. Worms and Speyer 

What is the name of the Jewish house of prayer?

1. Basilica 
2. Mosque
3. Synagogue 
4. Church

When was the state of Israel founded?

1. 1945
2. 1948 
3. 1922 
4. 1973

On what legal basis was the state of Israel founded?

1. A United Nations (UN) resolution
2. A resolution of the Zionist congress
3. A recommendation from the German federal government
4. A recommendation from the Soviet Union (USSR) 

TEST: Could you pass the German citizenship exam?

What is the reason for Germany’s special responsibility for Israel?

1. Germany’s membership of the European Union (EU)
2. Crimes committed under National Socialism
3. The German constitution (Grundgesetz) 
4. Christian tradition 

What is an example of anti-Semitic behaviour? 

1. Attending a Jewish festival 
2. Criticising the state of Israel
3. Holocaust denial 
4. Playing football against a Jewish team 

What do the so-called “Stolpersteine”, or stumbling stones, in Germany commemorate?

1. Famous German politicians
2. Victims of National Socialism
3. People who died in traffic accidents
4. Well-known Jewish musicians 

How can someone who denies the Holocaust be punished?

1. Cuts to benefits or welfare payments
2. Up to 100 hours of community service
3. They can’t be – Holocaust denial is allowed in Germany
4. With a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine 

Which act relating to the state of Israel is prohibited in Germany?

1. Publicly criticising Israel’s policies 
2. Hanging an Israeli flag on private property
3. Discussing Israeli politics 
4. Openly calling for the destruction of the state of Israel 

If you’d like to know more about the documents you need to apply for German citizenship – and how to do it – check out our explainers below:

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