Clichés, threats and also physical attacks: Jew-hatred is still present in Austria. In addition, the Minister of the Constitution, Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP), together with the President of the Jewish Community (IKG), Oskar Deutsch, presented a new implementation report on the national strategy against anti-Semitism. Pleasant: The anti-Semitic incidents have decreased. But other developments are worrying.
“Go away, no one needs you here, go home to the promised land. Do you Jews think you are something special? Even God has rejected you.” IKG President Oskar Deutsch received this message personally. As an example of the still existing anti-Semitism in Austria, he read it out during the press conference on duty. He could read out “dozens of messages with hate messages”, but that would be misleading, according to Deutsch, because : “Austria is not like that”.
“Live an Austrian Jewish Life”
In recent years and decades, much has been done to promote Jewish life, Deutsch emphasises. “We live an Austrian Jewish life,” he said. That is “the best answer to all anti-Semites”. He reported on a conference with the presidents of the Jewish communities in Europe, where the mood was depressing. Anti-Semitism in all forms is very present all over Europe. It starts with clichés and goes all the way to the terrorist threat. “In Austria, much, if not everything, is better than in most other countries of the European Union,” emphasized the IKG president. And: “We will not be intimidated.”
Strengthening Jewish life is part of the national strategy against anti-Semitism. Conclusion of the 2nd implementation report presented strategy in 2021: The number of reported anti-Semitic incidents has recently dropped by a third. That’s gratifying, but “no reason to sit back and relax,” Edtstadler stressed. There is an increase among young people. In individual cases in schools, teachers should intervene immediately. One must fight for a society without anti-Semitism, the minister agreed.
With its national strategy, Austria is a pioneer and a driving force in Europe, and 15 EU countries have now followed suit, says Edtstadler. In Austria, 26 of the 38 planned measures have been fully implemented, all others are in progress. As examples she mentioned the Austrian Jewish Cultural Heritage Act and measures in the field of training of security authorities, the judiciary, the armed forces and in the field of integration.
“Not the criminal liability threshold is decisive”
In addition, a further tightening of criminal liability is in the pipeline, such as the planned amendment of the prohibition law. In the fight against anti-Semitism, however, the criminal liability threshold is not decisive, the minister made clear – “it starts much earlier”. It is important to further increase the sensitivity to this subject in society.
Karoline Edtstadler was willing to talk about setting up a Shoah center in Vienna. The IKG president wanted a memorial like this one in Austria, similar to institutions in Israel and the US, because there are fewer and fewer eyewitnesses. Edtstadler also referred to the name wall in Vienna’s Ostarrichi Park, which bears the names of all the Jewish victims of National Socialism in Austria. For family members and next of kin who cannot travel to Austria, the names are now also published in two parts.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
