The 1972 Munich Olympics - For many people today, the current conception of terrorism and terrorists was shaped by the hostage crisis at the Munich Olympics in 1972 when a Palestinian group known as Black September seized Israeli athletes inside the Olympic Village. The Palestinian group demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel in return for the hostages they held in Munich. The Israeli government refused the terrorists' demands. German police allowed the terrorists out of the Olympic Village, but eleven Israelis, one German policeman and five of eight terrorists were killed in a failed German-led rescue attempt at a small airport. Advances in satellite technology meant that much of the world was able to watch on television as the drama unfolded. The public was shocked by images of the crisis and by the idea that the Israeli athletes, who were obviously not directly responsible for their government's policies, would be held accountable for those policies. The athletes were targeted simply because they were symbolic representatives of Israel-and, by extension, of Israel's policies.