2023-11-09 20:17:27
Commemorative event in parliament to remember the victims of the November pogroms 85 years ago
Vienna (PK) – On November 9, 2023, the Austrian Parliament commemorated the November pogroms 85 years ago. The memorial event began with opening words from National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka and a video greeting from Israeli Knesset President Amir Ohana. Both drew parallels between the events of November 9, 1938 and the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and emphasized that the fight against anti-Semitism is a current necessity. This is about defending democratic values against destructive forces.
After a speech by the President of the Jewish Community of Vienna, Oskar Deutsch, and a film recording of the ORF documentary “Old Hate – New Madness” on the history of anti-Semitism, the moderator of the event, Lisa Gadenstätter, held a contemporary witness conversation with the Shoah survivor and former Auschwitz -Inmate Benno Kern.
Sobotka emphasizes the urgency of the fight against anti-Semitism
It is not the first time that he has spoken words of remembrance and warning to the guests of a memorial event on the occasion of November 9th, the President of the National Council began his speech. The leitmotif of the speeches at memorial events was always “Never again”. Now, after October 7, 2023, “Never again” is now. Both dates have a long history. October 7th will also cast a long shadow into the future. The strategy of the terrorist organization Hamas and the henchmen who finance and train it, the Iranian mullah regime and other countries in the Middle East have worked. With the aim of destroying Israel, they wanted to prevent Israel’s rapprochement and an already tangible reconciliation between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
The terrorist organization Hamas consciously commits war crimes, including against the population of the Gaza Strip, in the cynical calculation of creating the “right images” for the media. As on November 9, 1938, an aggressor is acting here who wants to destroy the Jewish people worldwide. Hamas terrorists are solely responsible for the suffering and human casualties in Israel and the Gaza Strip, Sobotka said, emphasizing that our condolences go out to all civilian victims and their families. Sobotka also emphatically reiterated the demand for the release of the Israeli hostages who had been kidnapped in the Gaza Strip.
Just as today Nazi terror in all its forms and manifestations is condemned internationally in the strongest terms, an international alliance is also needed today that resolutely opposes the terrorist organization Hamas and combats any relativization or perpetrator-victim reversal. Israel’s security and existence cannot be put into perspective and cannot be negotiated, emphasized the National Council President. He would therefore like to thank the House for its unanimous declaration of solidarity with Israel, which represents an important signal of determination, unity and decency despite all political differences. It is also an expression of solidarity with the Jewish community in Austria, which now has to worry about its safety again.
Sobotka and repeated: “Never again, that is now. That means that the protection of Jewish institutions and the fight against anti-Semitism must be given the highest priority. Anti-Semitism occurs on the left and the right, but it is also imported from countries where the Hostility towards Israel is part of the reason of state. Slogans like “From the River to the Sea” would deny Israel’s right to exist and thus cross a red line.
Education is an important tool in the fight against anti-Semitism, said Sobotka. He also called for “an effective digital self-defense strategy for our democracy” in order to be able to take action against manipulative and non-transparent platforms and internet campaigns. “We are faced with a pandemic of disinformation and manipulation,” warned the President of the National Council. Clear rules for online media and for dealing with artificial intelligence are therefore necessary.
Hate speech online ultimately leads to violence on the streets, which should not find a home anywhere in Austria. The defense of Jewish life also means the defense of democracy and the values and norms of our society. “We will know how to defend ourselves resolutely; we owe it to our children and our children’s children,” Sobotka concluded his speech.
Knesset President Ohana complains about increasing anti-Semitic incidents
In a greeting message sent via video, Amir Ohana, President of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset), addressed the participants in the memorial event. Due to the current crisis in his country, he could not personally celebrate the November pogroms 85 years ago in Vienna, as originally planned. This year’s anniversary is marked by the terrible attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel a few weeks ago. The destruction he saw with his own eyes in places in southern Israel was another, even more terrible “Kristallnacht”.
Ohana recalled that anti-Semitism has once again increased dramatically worldwide in recent weeks. Ohana thanked the President of the National Council, the Austrian Parliament and the Austrian government for their strong and principled support for Israel in these difficult times. Their friendship and solidarity mean a lot and are a constant reminder of the inextricable bond that connects Austria and Israel. He would like to see more countries around the world stand by Israel’s side as resolutely, unequivocally and unconditionally as Austria has done since October 7th. Israel is at the forefront in the fight against radical Islamic fundamentalism. For the sake of the free world and humanity, it is important to stand together against the forces of evil. Ohana concluded with the words “Am Yisrael haj – The people of Israel live!”.
Lost cultural assets: The synagogues in Austria
The destroyed synagogues of Austria and their virtual reconstruction were the focus of a presentation by Bob Martens from the Vienna University of Technology and Herbert Peter from the Academy of Fine Arts.
Martens recalled that until 1938 there were synagogues and prayer houses in all Austrian states, with a focus on Lower Austria, Burgenland and Vienna. By 1938 there were 25 synagogues and around 70 prayer houses in Vienna alone. At that time, the Great Leopoldstadt Temple was even one of the ten largest synagogues in the world. The architects, including well-known names such as Max Fleischer, Ludwig von Förster and Wilhelm Stiassny, usually had to cope with a very cramped urban development situation when designing these buildings. Martens and Peter illustrated this using selected examples of Viennese synagogue architecture.
As visible signs of Jewish life, the synagogues and prayer houses in Austria were among the main targets of the concerted anti-Semitic actions on the night of the pogrom from November 9th to 10th, 1938. Martens and Peters quoted from the fire book of the Vienna professional fire brigade about the operations on November 10th 1938. Except for the city temple in Seitenstettengasse, all synagogues in Vienna were set on fire. During their operations, the fire brigade focused primarily on preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring houses. (Continuation of the memorial event) sox
A NOTICE: Photos about this event can be found in Parliament web portal.
Questions & Contact:
Press service of the Parliamentary Directorate
Parliamentary correspondence
Tel. +43 1 40110/2272
press service@parlament.gv.at
www.facebook.com/OeParl
www.twitter.com/oeparl
1699587990
#National #Council #President #Sobotka