JERUSALEM: ISRAEL ANNOUNCES IT WILL SEND AN AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRIA FOR FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS

Record ID: 400666

  • Title: JERUSALEM: ISRAEL ANNOUNCES IT WILL SEND AN AMBASSADOR TO AUSTRIA FOR FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS
  • Date: 30th July 2003
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (JULY 29, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV/MV AUSTRIAN FOREIGN MINISTER BENITA FERRERO-WALDNER AT HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL; MV FERRERO-WALDNER LAYING WREATH; MV / SCU FERRERO-WALDNER AT MUSEUM; SCU PHOTOGRAPHER (14 SHOTS) 1.27 2. SLV FERRERO-WALDNER AND ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SILVAN SHALOM AT PRESS CONFERENCE 1.35 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHALO
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JERUSALEM
  • City:
  • Country: Israel
  • Reuters ID: LVAA8F54AC1DV2ZC6NMERTYQPYGI
  • Story Text: Israel announces it will send an ambassador to
    Austria for the first time in three years.

    Israel resumed full diplomatic relations with
    Austria after the Austrian Foreign Minister Benita
    Ferrero-Waldner met Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom in
    Jerusalem on Tuesday (July 29, 2003).

    Ferrero-Waldner started her visit to Israel with a tour
    to Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust museum in Jerusalem,
    where she laid a wreath in memory of the six million Jews
    killed by the German Nazi regime in the World War II.

    In February 2000 Israel withdrew its ambassador from
    Vienna in protest at the inclusion of Haider, then head of
    the far-right Freedom Party, as a senior partner in
    Austria's governing coalition.

    Haider is shunned by Israel for once praising Adolf
    Hitler's Waffen SS and describing Nazi employment policies
    as "decent" comments for which he later apologised.

    Haider's party is now only a minor coalition partner and
    has a new leader.

    Shalom announced the thaw in relations after talks with
    the Austrian Foreign Minister, the highest-ranking Austrian
    official to visit the Jewish state since 1998.

    "During our meeting today we decided to open a new
    chapter in our relations. Chapter that would emphasize the
    historical relations between our two peoples. After three
    and a half years, we have decided to restore full
    diplomatic relations with Austria. Israel will now appoint
    an ambassador to Vienna and will today remove all the
    restrictions that were imposed on its relations with
    Austria," said Shalom.

    Shalom indicated that Israel decided to upgrade ties
    after Austria began facing up to its role in the Holocaust.

    The decision to improve the ties also came as Israel
    seeks to improve relations with Europe.

    "I am glad the moment of normalisation of relations
    with Israel has come and we close this unfortunate chapter,
    said Ferrero-Waldner.

    Israel's ties with Austria were not officially
    downgraded. Austria's ambassador remained in Tel Aviv and
    Israel kept open its embassy in Vienna, headed by a charge
    d'affairs.


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