JEWISH WORLD

6 JEWISH WORLD • JANUARY 26 - FEBRUARY 1, 2018 By ISI LEIBLER I srael has no allies in the EU, which is now notorious for its shameless bias and double standards against the Jewish state. Populist and nationalist parties are emerging as powerful political forces. They are likely to pro- foundly influence domestic and foreign policies in virtually every European country. There are many, including a sub- stantial number of Jews, who recalling the 1930s now feel an ominous sense of déjà vu. They regard these populist parties as incubators for anti-Semitism, as well as anti-Muslim sentiment. The reality is that until recently, these parties in France, Austria, Germany and Hungary included a considerable number of neo-Nazis and Holocaust revisionists. Any Jewish cooperation with such groups would have been an unthinkable desecration of the memory of Holocaust victims. Today the situation has changed dramatically. The main source of support for these populists has come from those who consider the flood of Muslim migrants to be detrimental to the quality of their lives, with a massive increase in crime and social chaos that threat- ens their entire social order. In addition, there is the increased threat of both imported and home- bred terrorists, from which no European city or province is immune. Some of the voters for these nationalist parties are pro-Jewish and support Israel as a bastion of the free world. Over the past decade, they have begun purging their ranks of anti-Semites and publicly stating that they intend to eradicate all anti-Jewish elements. Needless to say, that does not preclude fascists or Nazis voting for them. In the same way, the fact that racists and fascists may sup- port Trump does not mean that his administration is racist and fascist. Nor have far-left anti-semites or communists taken control of the Democratic Party by voting for it. The recent election of a right-wing government in Austria highlights the situation. It is noteworthy that Austria failed to prosecute Nazi war crimi- nals, has an unenviable record of anti-Semitism and until recently claimed to be a victim of the Nazis, denying any involvement in the Holocaust. The populist right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), a partner in the new coalition, was formed in 1956 by a former SS officer. Until the departure of Jorg Haider in 2005, no self-respecting Jew or democrat would contem- plate associating with this party, which openly praised Nazis and was unequivocally anti-Semitic. In April 2005, Heinz-Christian Strache was elected leader, dramat- ically transforming the party by focusing on the concept of Heimat (homeland) – its anti-immigration and social welfare platform. In last year’s presidential election, the FPO candidate, Norbert Hofer, won the first round with 35%, and near- ly won the runoff election with close to 50% of the vote. When Strache’s party became a partner in the new government headed by Sebastian Kurz, the local community comprising 10,000 Jews and international Jewish com- munities condemned the party as fascist and racist and called for a boycott. The local Jewish commu- nity also objected to the FPO’s anti- immigration platform, despite the fact that the majority of Muslim “refugees” harbor anti-Semitic atti- tudes and beliefs. Israel found itself in a dilemma: it traditionally supports Diaspora communities facing anti-Semitism but this case is complex because the new Austrian chancellor backs Israel and pledged that his coali- tion would combat anti-Semitism. Israel decided to maintain rela- tions and direct contact with Kurz and his government but instructed officials to avoid interaction with FPO ministers, including the head of the party, restricting them to liaising with the professionals working in the FPO-controlled ministries. I have fought against anti- Semitism throughout my entire public life without distinguishing between Left and Right. However, I believe that despite the FPO’s dubious past, Israel is acting against its best interests by boy- cotting it. Today, the FPO is essentially a nationalist anti-immigration party which claims that hordes of radical Muslims are making Austrians feel like aliens in their own country. Strache represents a new genera- tion. With the broadening of FPO support, he seeks to distance the party from and purge it of the anti- Semites and fascists and concen- trate on becoming a popular anti- immigration party. In fact, Strache openly courts Jews and Israel. T he government program pub- lished by the FPO and Kurz’s Austrian People’s Party rejects “political Islam” which can “lead to radicalization, anti-Semitism, violence, and terrorism.” It pro- claims that combating anti- Semitism in Austria is one of the government’s principal objectives and that Nazism was “one of the greatest tragedies in world histo- ry.” The country that, until recently, claimed to be a victim of Nazism, now vows to commemorate those who underwent “terrible suffering and misery” arising from the Anschluss, Austria’s 1938 annexa- tion into Nazi Germany. The new government also explicitly commits itself “to Israel as a Jewish state” – a major depar- ture from previous Austrian policy – and calls for a “peaceful solution in the Middle East, with special consideration for Israel’s security interests.” FPO leaders have visited Israel and made unofficial contacts with several Likud activists. Strache expressed his desire to move the Austrian Embassy to Jerusalem at a later date and also stated that Israel was entitled to expand settle- ments. Israel does not need to endorse Israel And ‘Populist’ Parties Austria says it is ‘commited’ to the Jewish State Populist and nationalist parties are emerging as powerful political forces. COMMENTARY Israel decided to maintain relations with the Austrian government despite its partnership with the populist right-wing Freedom Party of Austria, whose members staged a mass demonstration recently. continued on page 26