Operation Wrath of God was Israel's response to the Munich massacre. In 1972, the Summer Olympics were held in Munich, Germany (then West Germany). Eleven Israeli Olympians and coaches were held hostage and ultimately murdered by members of the Black September terrorist group, part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Additionally, five of the eight terrorists were killed during a failed hostage recovery attempt by the Germans. The three remaining terrorists were released in exchange for a hijacked plane (Rosenberg, 2010). Israel's response was Operation Wrath of God. In rapid response to the Munich massacre, “Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir issued instructions to Israeli agents to hunt down and kill those behind the massacre” (Palestine, 2010). Israel plans covert action against those responsible. According to Lowenthal, the paramilitary operation is the most violent with the least plausible deniability. This involves training and arming a group for a direct assault on the enemy (2006, p. 163). Operation Wrath of God is “one of the most ambitious covert counterterrorism campaigns in history” (Palestine, 2010). Israel created Committee X to organize the operation. They compiled a list of 20 to 35 Black September and PLO members involved in planning and/or carrying out the massacre (Palmer, 2010). A response such as Operation Wrath of God is controversial and difficult to endorse. Ordering the killing of more people is a moral and ethical challenge. Even though terrorists attacked innocent athletes, is it acceptable to kill more? As the leader of a nation, Prime Minister Meir needed careful consideration and good analysis to arrive at the right reaction. O...... middle of paper ...... Was this the first mistake or just the first one that the assassins didn't escape? Since it was a covert operation, it is difficult to verify whether or not the continued Black September attacks were retaliation for the operation or a continuation of the previous attack. Works Cited Lowenthal, Mark M. (2006). Intelligence: From Secrets to Politics [Third Edition]. Washington, DC: CQ Press. PalestineFacts (2010). Israel 1967 – Murder of the 1991 Olympic team. Retrieved from http://www.palestinefacts.org Palmer, Alun (February 18, 2010). “Mossad files; Israel’s Deadly Assassins.” The Mirror. Pages. 16.17. Retrieved from http://www. LexisNexis.com Rosenberg, Jennifer (2010). “Munich Massacre”. About.com: History of the 20th century. Retrieved from http://history1900s.about.comWikipedia (2010). “Operation Wrath of God”. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org