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28. 08. 09. - 16:00

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28. 08. 09. - 16:00

Jewish leader warns of similarities to time of Hitler's rise

By Lisa Chapman

Austrian Jewish Community (IKG) leader Ariel Muzicant has warned there are growing similarities between Austria today and Germany just before Hitler came to power.

In an interview in today’s edition of the Vienna newspaper Der Standard, Muzicant criticised both the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the People’s Party (ÖVP) for their alleged refusal to exclude the possibility of a governing coalition with the right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ).

Muzicant said: "The real scandal is that the two big parties always defend themselves by claiming the FPÖ has been democratically elected. Adolf Hitler was also democratically elected. Then the quarrel between the right and the left in Germany led to Hitler becoming chancellor. [But] I do not want to compare FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache with Hitler."

Muzicant also warned of the danger of trying to isolate the FPÖ, which would only strengthen its "martyr’s role", which he said former SPÖ Chancellor Franz Vranitzky had understood. What was important was "to talk with the FPÖ to show people it was not concerned with jobs and social welfare but about hatred and rabble-rousing."

The Jewish leader’s remarks may have come partially in response to a recent controversy after Vorarlberg FPÖ leader Dieter Egger called Hanno Loewy, the head of the Jewish museum in Hohenems, as "an exile Jew from America."

Strache defended Egger over what has been called by mane an anti-Semitic statement. Strache said on the "Sommergespräche" (Summer Talks) debate show on national broadcaster ORF earlier this week he did not regard "exile Jew" as a swear word or an insult.

Vorarlberg Governor Herbert Sausgruber warned he would not consider a coalition of his People’s Party (ÖVP) and the FPÖ after the 20 September provincial election if Egger did not apologise.

Strache claimed Sausgruber’s reaction was "exaggerated", explaining: "Egger wanted to stress that the FPÖ did not accept that permanent kind of criticism of our poster campaign and other things by citizens of other countries."

The federal FPÖ leader added there would be no consequences for Egger, stressing his party would not allow the ÖVP to give them advice on how to manage their human resources. "(Former SPÖ Chancellor Bruno) Kreisky was also an exile Jew and a great patriot," he added.

Strache said: "We are a democratic party that disassociates itself from all forms of extremism, regardless of whether it comes from the left or the right side of the political spectrum."

The public prosecutor’s office in Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, meanwhile, has announced they will check statements made by Egger to find out whether legal action should be taken.

Head prosecutor Franz Pflanzner said: "There is a possibility the statements could lead to consequences under sedition paragraph number 238 because of wide media coverage."

Loewy said he would "rather not" press for legal action over the statement. Loewy said: "What Egger said is not insulting, just wrong."

Egger reacted with newspaper ads in which he called for financial subsidies for Austrian families in the province.

The discussion is only one of several regarding actions by the right-wing party or statements by its members this year. A few months ago, FPÖ MP and Third President of Parliament Martin Graf came under fire for accusing Muzicant of being the "godfather of anti-fascist, left-wing terrorism in Austria."

Austrian Times

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