[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 87 (Friday, June 18, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H4660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     JUSTICE FOR THE BERGER FAMILY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Thornberry). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, as Americans, we have a right to expect 
that justice will be served whenever an American citizen is murdered, 
either on our soil or on foreign land.
  David Berger, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Berger of Shaker 
Heights, Ohio, was murdered nearly 20 years ago, but unlike too many 
others whose lives are senselessly lost, his death was not relegated to 
the police blotter section of the local paper.
  Instead, the killing of David Berger was broadcast around the world 
and splashed across the front page of virtually every newspaper in the 
world. Still, for his family there has been no justice and no closure.
  David Berger, a dual American-Israeli citizen, was one of 11 Israeli 
athletes killed by Palestinian terrorists in 1972 at the Olympic Games 
in Munich. David Berger, a championship weightlifter, had emigrated to 
Israel so he could compete in the Olympics as a member of the Israeli 
team.
  Many of us remember the 1972 Olympic games perhaps from Mark Spitz 
and the 7 gold medals that he won in swimming. Others recall with 
delight the pint-sized Olga Korbut, who captured our hearts and also 
captured gold, but for the Berger family the 1972 Olympic games are 
scarred with painful images that are permanently etched in their minds 
and hearts, a machine gun toting terrorist with a black ski mask in the 
window of the dormitory where their son and his teammates were staying, 
the white pine coffin that held his remains when he was returned to the 
United States for his funeral.
  Mr. Speaker, David Berger was the only American to die in this 
horrific act of terrorism that changed our world, that caused the 
Olympics to lose its innocence and forced the world to take the reality 
of terrorism far more seriously. If it could happen at the Olympics, it 
could happen anywhere.
  Mr. Speaker, I share the story of David Berger now because at this 
very moment in history the United States has an unprecedented 
opportunity to deliver justice to the Berger family.
  The Palestinian guerilla long suspected as the mastermind of the 
terrorist acts at the Munich games not only has admitted his part in 
this plot, but has written a book and plans to profit from it. Abu 
Daoud has written his autobiography, and it was recently published in 
France, called ``Palestine: From Jerusalem to Munich.'' In his book he 
admits to being the mastermind of the hostage taking at the Munich 
games.
  Based on those admissions the German government last week issued an 
Interpol arrest warrant for Abu Daoud and plans to try him as an 
accessory for murder for planning the attack. Now this terrorist is in 
Jordan. The Israeli government last week denied him access to Israel, 
making it impossible for him to return to his home on the West Bank.
  Mr. Speaker, regrettably it appears that Abu Daoud cannot be held 
accountable for his crimes in the United States or in Israel. 
Therefore, it is imperative that the Jordanian government honor the 
Interpol arrest warrant and return him to Germany. I have called today, 
Mr. Speaker, upon President Clinton to immediately demand the Jordanian 
King Abdullah that he turn over Abu Daoud to Germany for prosecution. 
It would be reprehensible if the United States would now turn its back 
and refuse to do all within its power to see that an assassin of an 
American citizen is brought to justice.
  Mr. Speaker, Abu Daoud's book is not yet available in the United 
States. However, any American citizen can log on to the Internet, call 
up Amazon.com and read a breezy synopsis which says, ``Twenty-five 
years ago after he masterminded the tragedy of the 1972 Munich Olympic 
games, one of the legendary figures of Palestinian terrorism comes out 
of hiding to tell his story.''
  Daoud has chosen this time in history to reveal to the world his role 
in this senseless execution of 11 Olympic athletes. While it sickens me 
to the core, Mr. Speaker, to think that anyone could profit from this 
type of terrorism, it would sicken me even more if our country were to 
fail to intervene and assist the Berger family of Shaker Heights, Ohio.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Benjamin Berger is now 81 years old. He still 
practices medicine and is on the board of trustees at Fairmount Temple, 
where his eldest son was eulogized more than a quarter of century ago. 
He and his wife Dorothy have two grown children. The Bergers were left 
with many wonderful reminders of their son's life: A memorial at the 
Jewish Community Center, a gym at his high school, and a 19-year-old 
grandson named after the wonderful son they lost.
  As we can imagine, it is painful for David Berger's mother Dorothy to 
relive the horror that befell her family nearly 27 years ago. Mr. 
Speaker, Dorothy Berger cannot fathom why Abu Daoud has chosen to admit 
his criminal acts in a book. Maybe he is proud of it. He has gotten 
away with it all these years.
  Mr. Speaker, an American citizen was killed nearly 27 years ago in 
one of the most heinous, well-known terrorist acts of this century. We 
must not allow Abu Daoud to get away with it one day longer.
  Mr. Speaker, may justice prevail. May God bless the Berger family and 
the United States of America.

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