The ‘crown’ reached the Viennese-born priest Markus Bugnyar in the Old City of Jerusalem: ‘We are constantly under rocket fire.’ Israel expert Danielle Spera fears for her family and friends. The Austrian Foreign Ministry has increased the security level for Israel.
Markus Bugnyar has lived in Israel for twenty years. The Vienna-born priest is rector of the Austrian hospice in Jerusalem. He knows the wail of sirens, the deafening whistle of flying missiles. The war. But even the 48-year-old has not yet experienced what is currently happening in the country. “We are sitting on needles here,” he says in the “Krone” interview.
Massive military presence
By ‘we’ he means thirty Austrians who are currently staying at the famous pilgrimage site in the Holy City – barricading themselves in the hospice. The streets in the old town are empty and the military presence is enormous. “We are under constant rocket fire.”
The attacks, propaganda and rumors are enormous. And there are calls for attacks in Jerusalem. Bugnyar: “It is a level of escalation that I have never experienced in this form before. If someone had told me two days ago that something like this would happen, I wouldn’t have thought it possible.” There are many questions that the preacher cannot get out of his head: Why do people have to die here, have they literally been slaughtered, kidnapped, tortured? And: “Where was the intelligence to prevent this targeted, deadly commando operation?”
“Absolute madness”
Israel expert Danielle Spera also has no answers to these questions. She fears for her family and friends in the country. “They are used to the state of emergency. However, what is happening here is absolute madness. I have often been in crisis situations in Israel, but this has a new, unprecedented dimension. That doesn’t look good. Every family is affected by this, because everyone here is more or less a soldier.”
“This is a murderous rampage,” said Mordechai Rodgold from Jerusalem, who until a few days ago was Israel’s ambassador to Austria, on the phone with “Krone”. “They are ruthless killers who kill for the sake of killing.” Everyone is in shock. “It always makes a loud ‘thud’ when the interceptor missiles destroy the Hamas projectiles in the skies over Jerusalem,” he continues. Families must stay together now. He and his wife have already moved their mother and mother-in-law into their apartment: “Despite everything, we must continue to have faith. Good will win!”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travel
In view of the attacks on Israel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has increased the security level for the country. Israel is now considered a “high security risk,” and therefore “non-essential travel” is not recommended. Austrians staying in Israel are advised to “follow the instructions of the Israeli authorities,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday evening. Registration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also recommended.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
