Austria’s foreign minister, who is boycotted by Israel due to her affiliation with the far-right Freedom Party, on Thursday vowed to fight against anti-Zionism and to stand up for the Jewish state in international forums, timesofisrael.com reports.
Israelis are somewhat justified in feeling that the European Union treats their state unfairly, Karin Kneissl said, pledging to change that.
“I know that many Israelis feel that — while there exist strong bilateral ties with a number of European countries — the relationship with the EU on a whole never quite lives up to its full potential,” she told The Times of Israel in an exclusive interview. “And there is something to that.”
Austria, which is currently holding the EU presidency, is “actively working” toward that goal, she asserted.
“Israel’s neighbors are not Switzerland and Liechtenstein, it would do Europe good to remember this sometimes.”
She also spoke about the need to confront both anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism and expressed satisfaction over proposed legislation that would grant descendants of Austrian Holocaust survivors Austrian citizenship.
So far, Kneissl’s overture has not been reciprocated by the Israeli government, but that may change soon.
Since she was nominated for the foreign minister position by the Freedom Party, known by its German acronym FPOe, Israeli officials currently refuse any contacts with Kneissl (a lone lawmaker, Likud’s Yehuda Glick, openly embraces her, as he believes Israel should cooperate with the FPOe).
But the government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz continues to urge Israel to lift the boycott, if not of the FPOe than at least of Kneissl, who is not formally a member of the party. Several officials in Vienna and Jerusalem have told The Times of Israel this week that, while Israel is not planning to engage with FPOe members, it may consider establishing contacts with Kneissl in the near future.
Kneissl, who wrote her doctoral thesis in international law about the concept of borders in the Middle East, declined to comment on this “hypothetical question,” but indicated that she was keen on interacting with Israeli diplomats.
The Vienna-born foreign minister, who lived in Israel for two years, defended the FPOe against accusations of anti-Semitism and xenophobia by Israeli officials and Austria’s Jewish community.
FPOe head, Vice Chancellor and Interior Minister Heinz-Christian Strache, has “repeatedly emphasized that there is no space for anti-Semitism in his party.”
“I am absolutely convinced that neither he nor any other member of this government is anti-Semitic or tolerates anti-Semitism,” she added. “In fact, Mr. Strache takes a keen interest in Israel, its history and culture.”
The government in Vienna — a coalition of FPOe and Kurz’s center-right People’s Party — has clearly stated its support for Israel and Austria’s Jewish community and vowed to fight anti-Semitism, she said.
“I am confident that over time, even those who still have their doubts will come to appreciate that these are not only empty words.”
The controversial academic-turned diplomat also said she was looking forward to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned visit to Vienna next week, calling it a “strong confirmation of our profound bilateral bonds.”
Later on Thursday, however, Netanyahu cancelled the visit due to the current political crisis in Israel. It would have been the first trip to Austria of an Israeli prime minister since 1997.