100 First Days: Israel and the new Austrian government
On December 16th, 2017, Austria had a new government. This new government is not an usual one: it is composed of ÖVP (Austrian People’s Party) and FPÖ (Austrian Freedom’s Party).
Elections explained
On October 10th, 2017, Austria has elected a new National Council, Austria’s Parliament. ÖVP won 57 seats, followed by FPÖ (51 seats), SPÖ (Austria’s Social Democrat Party) won 49 seats. Greens, NEOS won 9 seats each and PILZ had 8 seats. ÖVP didn’t have majority.
ÖVP didn’t have majority and had to chose to form a majority either with SPÖ or with FPÖ. Let’s see what majority in Parliament awaited ÖVP.
ÖVP had a better majority with FPÖ than with SPÖ — 2 seats better, exactly. This is not a surprising trend if we analyse previous elections in Austria. On December 2016, during Presidential Elections, FPÖ candidate Höfer was defeated by Green candidate Van der Bellen. Even if FPÖ was defeated by Greens, the far-right movement entered the second round — Neither ÖVP nor SPÖ, then-governing Austria, were qualified for the second round. This Presidential Election foresaw FPÖ’s rise in this General Election.
ÖVP had a dilemma: Either a right-wing coalition with a bold basis or a center-right coalition already lost in polls ?
ÖVP-FPÖ Government: What did that mean for Israel and Jewish people ?
Now, we come back on December 16th, 2017. Sebastian Kurz, from ÖVP, announced his party will form a government with FPÖ. Kurz became Chancellor and Heinz-Christian Strache from FPÖ became Deputy Chancellor. Although a secure majority, media, either national or foreign, just take note of FPÖ as a neo-Nazi movement. For instance, these are two articles from German medias: Strache, during his youth, was a neo-Nazi activist from FOCUS, or ties between FPÖ and neo-Nazis from F.A.Z. Following these publications, Israel decided to boycott the Austrian government.
These facts about FPÖ put in front by media, the new Austrian government answered. First, in the government agreement, the Austrian government announced their support to the Two-States-Solution, recognizing Israel as a Jewish State, with protected borders, besides a Palestinian State. Second, the new Austrian Foreign Minister is Karin Kneissl: Kneissl studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, lectured about Middle East, wrote a book named My Middle East and spoke Hebrew.
Kurz, Austrian Chancellor, wants to show his alliance with FPÖ is not a fragance of Antisemitism or a threat to the Jewish State Israel.
Israeli PM Netanyahu met Austrian Chancellor Kurz
Chancellor Kurz and his deputy Strache, facing a boycott from Israel, had to show their friendship to Israel. On December 19th, 2017, Deputy Chancellor Strache defended his movement — Strache said FPÖ is committed to fight Antisemitism in Europe and declared he wanted “a durable and friendly relation” with Israel. On the other hand, Foreign Minister Kneissl said Zionism was “a movement from 19th century” and, as a conclusion, has no links with National Socialism ideology; Israel didn’t comment the statement. Israeli-Austrian relationship was at its low level.
Later, on Feburary 2018, a Knesset member from Likud movement — PM Netanyahu’s- met Strache and called to build a new diplomatic relation with Austria. Member of Knesset (MK) Yehuda Glick did not only meet Strache, but Foreign Minister Kneissl and, even, FPÖ Leader Harald Vilimsky. Vilimsky published a picture with Glick on Twitter where the FPÖ Leader commented “a great meeting”. Glick commented this meeting as a “mediation” and qualified Strache as “friend of Israel”. Knesset Opposition movement, Zionist Union, declared its scepticism about Glick’s trip to Austria, mentionning links between FPÖ and Shoah victims.
If this meeting didn’t convince Israeli Opposition, PM Netanyahu, from Likud, met Chancellor Kurz some days after, on Feburary 16th, 2018, at Munich Secuirty Conference.
On March 15th, 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu met, in Jerusalem, Austrian Chancellor Kurz. Israeli PM Netanyahu wrote about the “determination to combat Antisemitism” and the decisions regarding “Holocaust (Shoah) education and commemoration” from Austrian Chancellor Kurz. PM Netanyahu added, on Facebook, Austria decided to build a memorial site for the 66,000 Jews dead during the Shoah and finished: “Thank you, Sebastian, for your leadership”.
We can stay on these words by PM Netanyahu, but let’s talk about the FPÖ. During last regional elections in Austria, a candidate from FPÖ resigned because of a posession of a book with Nazi songs. On the other hand, FPÖ published a statement on March 12th, 2018 condemning “Anschlusse”, evasion of Nazi Germany in Austria during World War II. Strache said about the event: “Austria has a great obligation to fight Antisemitism because of its history”.
Conclusion
During these first 100 days, Chancellor Kurz and his deputy Strache from FPÖ managed to have a new relation with Israel despite FPÖ roots. First, Israel boycotted. Then, Austria convinced Israel to come back on its decision by reaffirming Austria’s link to Israel’s existence and security and to make sure FPÖ changed. MK Glick did a great step coming to Austria and meeting Strache. That action led to the last meeting betweeen Chancellor Kurz and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
