Vienna, Austria – Austrian prosecutors have launched a preliminary investigation into whether a provincial right-wing politician broke the law when he called the head of a Jewish museum a “Jew in exile from America.”
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The remark by Dieter Egger, head of the Freedom Party in Vorarlberg province, has sparked widespread condemnation.
His comments were aimed at Hanno Loewy, director of the Jewish Museum in Hohenems, who had criticized a party slogan.
Feldkirch prosecutor Franz Pflanzner said today his office was looking into the matter based on an “initial suspicion” that Egger had engaged in incitement. It was unclear when a decision on whether to launch a formal investigation would be made.
Loewy, a German citizen, called Egger’s remarks “absurd.”
What do you expect from an Austrian? Welcome, sonny? Make yourself at home? Marry my daughter? People need to understand that many Austrians hate Jews. They are garden-variety anti-Semites. You know – morons.
The irony is that there are many American Jews who were exiled from….Austria!
I was born in Vienna and lived close to the Kopyczynitzer Rebbe tzichus yugoleini. I was deported in October 1941 to Lodz. Austria produced Kaltenbrunner, Alois Burnner and of course Eichmann. I was there in 1950 and visited the Czorkover’s and Kopyczynitzer and my father’s relatives graves. Austria was antisemitic, is antisemetic and will be antisemitic. It still rings in my ear “Juda verrecke” Ein Reich , ein Volk ein Fuehrer. Hitler was born in Linz. Unfortunately a yid with a capote , beard and the whole regalia committed fraud a few amonths ago in Austria on other Yidden and was jailed and through intervention let go from the jail. On this website somebody called pidyun sheviim
Well, wasn´t he leader of the German Third Reich in fact an Austrian? Yes he was!And most of the worst in the Nazi leadership? Yes they were!
I don’t think it’s right to jump into antisemitism card with sweeping statements and retelling everyone’s Holocaust stories every time news like this appears, . Europe has problems with antisemitism, but it’s not right to throw sweeping statements as if the entire continent is antisemitic like it was in the age of pogroms, lots has changed after WWII. I’m sure there are pockets right here in the U.S. or even Israel where antisemitism appears in some form in people.
There is one thing that European antisemites and Jews from America and Israel have in common: They all tell us Austrian Jews that we have no right to live in the country that we were born.
I am Austrian and I am ashamed of politicians like Dieter Egger and the slogans used by their parties. But Austria is not the only country in Europe dealing with problems like racism and antisemitism, it’s just because of the country’s past that a politician from a small city (of 15 000) causes newspapers all over Europe to write about a one-line statement a few weeks before the elections. Some Austrians may still hate jews but before you condemn a whole country for what the minority of a people says or does, you should take a look at what’s happening within your own borders.
to number 8:
what’s happening in our own borders?
at least we live in a country where it is possible to have a black president.
I doubt that this would be the case in Austria.
You’re right, I personally find the fact that a Gypsy-caravan was attacked in Osttirol, Austria by a group of locals with metal clubs also much more scary.
The politician is the chairman of the FPO party in the whole province of Vorarlberg, I don’t know what you are talking about when you write about a small city.
But I guess that’s what Austrians do best, they say ‘ok we messed up, but look at what’s going on in Israel/US’!
I got news for you: Our contries did not invent the holocaust, as yours did.
Are you really surprised that people are judging Austria based on it’s criminal history that it never came to terms with?