London Mayor Boris Johnson has been urged to back calls for a minute’s silence at the Olympics to mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich terror attack which killed 11 Israeli team members.

Former MP Andrew Dismore, now London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden, used the first Mayor’s Question Time since May’s election to challenge Mr Johnson to campaign for a dedicated silence at the Games.

The International Olympic Committee has ruled out a silent commemoration during the opening ceremony or at any official Olympic events.

Following the session Mr Dismore said: “The IOC is making the shabby political statement that they care more about the Olympics as big business than they do about victims of terrorism at the Olympics.

“I strongly suspect that if the victims had been of any other nationality than Israeli, there would not be any question of a refusal.

“The IOC is an unelected, unaccountable, faceless global big business super-quango which repeatedly rides rough-shod over host-cities’ wishes.”

Mr Johnson agreed to raise the issue again with the IOC.

More than 60,000 people have so far signed a petition to be sent to IOC president Jacques Rogge. The petition was set up by Ankie Spitzer, whose husband, fencing coach Andre Spitzer, was killed in the attack.