Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Austrian presumptive leader: Coalition partners must reject anti-Semitism - Eldad Beck




by Eldad Beck

A day after Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, 31, led his party to victory, he tells Israel Hayom: Far-right party will have to abide by zero-tolerance policy on anti-Semitism before joining coalition




Presumptive chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Sunday  
Photo: AFP  
 
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, just 31, became his country's presumptive chancellor on Sunday after the Austrian People's Party won the most seats in parliament.

Kurz will join other young, photogenic leaders, such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron, on the world stage.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to congratulate Kurz on Monday. Netanyahu said in a statement that he spoke with Kurz by telephone and commended Austria for "preserving the memory of the Holocaust and its war against anti-Semitism" in recent years. According to the statement, Kurz responded positively when Netanyahu invited him to Israel.

Less than 24 hours after Kurz's sweeping win, as he began preparing for his new job as the youngest world leader, he granted Israel Hayom an exclusive interview, making a point of showing he has a warm place in his heart for the Jewish state.

Kruz made it clear that denouncing anti-Semitism would be a "clear precondition" for his future coalition partners, including his most likely partner, the far-right Freedom Party of Austria.

"There must be no doubt about this at all," he said. "A Europe without Jews is not Europe anymore."

Kurz also said he supports the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which was negotiated in his country's capital, Vienna. He stressed that "we cannot be naive" about the Islamic republic's conduct.

Q. Congratulations on your victory and thank you for finding the time to answer our questions on such a busy day. How does it feel to become the youngest chancellor in Austria's history?

"I'm glad and overwhelmed by the good electoral results for our political movement, the new People's Party. We have achieved historic success. The voters have conferred a very large responsibility on us and I would be honored to serve the Austrian citizens as the head of the next government."

Q. Does being so young make it easier for you to take responsibility for Austria's history during World War II?

"My visits to Yad Vashem [Israel's Holocaust memorial], as well as my many meetings with Holocaust survivors, were deeply moving for me. I have always been very clear that we – and that very much includes the new Austrian generation – shall never forget the Holocaust and the atrocities committed during World War II. Austria has to face up to its own history, and that includes the dark sides of it. Let me be very clear: A Europe without Jews is not Europe anymore. I am therefore very glad that we have a vibrant – small, but very vibrant - Jewish community in Austria. Also, Austria enjoys excellent relations with the State of Israel – this is a fact that is very important for me."

Q. During the campaign, your close contacts with the Austrian Jewish community and Israel were used by certain sides to try to harm your chances of winning. Was that anti-Semitic?

"I cannot speak for other parties. But the election results clearly show that Austrians do not reward any kind of smear campaigns or dirty campaigning tricks. Let me also be clear that we must continue to pursue a policy of zero tolerance for any form of anti-Semitism in Austria as well as in Europe."

Q. The campaign was shadowed by the "Silberstein scandal," in which Israeli adviser Tal Silberstein was accused of misconduct by promoting allegedly racist propaganda. Will this affair influence future contacts between Austria and Israel?

"No, it will not. It is of the utmost importance for me that Austria and Israel continue to intensify our already close bilateral relations. I am glad that during my time as foreign minister our bilateral relations have further improved and grown ever stronger. Let me just give you one figure here: Our bilateral trade grew by 32.5% during the first half of 2017 – that tells you something about the growing strength of our relationship. Also, we have put a focus and an intensified exchange between our young generations. (A new Working Holiday Program that I have signed with PM Netanyahu allows for young Israelis and Austrians for the first time to work in each other's country – and this opportunity is taken up with great enthusiasm.) If I become the next chancellor of Austria, I will strive to further intensify our close bilateral relations."

Q. The chances are that you will form a coalition with the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), led by Heinz-Christian Strache. Do you see a difference between the FPO of Jorg Heider (the former leader who was accused of being anti-Semitic) and that of Strache? In other words, is it not the extreme right, anti-Semitic and Nazi-nostalgic party it used to be?

"The fight against anti-Semitism and a policy of zero tolerance against any anti-Semitic tendencies is very important for me. This is a clear precondition for any coalition that I would lead. There must be no doubt about this at all. None. The FPO has in the past shown efforts to fight anti-Semitism, in its own ranks as well, and I expect them to continue to do so."

Q. Israel is still avoiding any official contacts with the FPO, despite party leader Strache's attempts to convince the Israeli public that he has changed his party's nature and positions. Would you recommend that the Israeli government open a dialogue with the FPO, especially if this party joins your government?

"It is not up to me to give recommendations to Israel on this matter. This is truly a decision for the Israeli government to take."

Q. How do you plan to enhance the relations between Austria and Israel?

"Our ties are strong, and that is true for tourism, trade, cultural exchange, youth exchange and many other areas. But there is always room for improvement. Israel is the startup nation and we can learn much from the Israeli can-do spirit. Austria, too, has a lot to offer: Just look at the sciences, our strong expertise when it comes to environmental protection etc. In other words, much has been achieved over the past years, but there is still a lot to do. I am happy to 'roll up my sleeves' and get things moving!"

Q. Will you consider moving the Austrian Embassy to Jerusalem as Mr. Strache has suggested?

"I don't think that this is the time to discuss such a sensitive question. But of course you know the international position on this issue."

Q. The agreement with Iran, which was negotiated in Vienna two years ago, is being challenged by the U.S. President Donald Trump. Do you think the EU should reconsider its positions on this agreement in light of Iran's ongoing long-range missile program and growing influence in the Middle East?

"I support the Iran nuclear agreement reached in Vienna two years ago. This agreement is certainly better than no agreement. After all, it is of the greatest importance to avoid a nuclear arms race in an already very volatile region, and according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has so far fulfilled its obligations under the agreement. However, there is no doubt that we cannot be naive and we have to carefully take into consideration the security concerns of Israel and closely observe Iran's role in the region."


Eldad Beck

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/2017/10/17/austrias-chancellor-elect-denouncing-anti-semitism-a-precondition-for-coalition/

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