Likud deepens ties with Austria’s FPO as European right courts Israel

Israel’s ruling Likud party, which has been deepening its ties with the European right for some time, is most recently seeking to strengthen relations through Austria’s FPO.

Most recently, a speech delivered at the European Parliament on 16 September by Herbert Kickl, leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), was welcomed by Israel.

Kickl caused a major stir in an address delivered at a conference on “Islamism and Antisemitism” organised by the Patriots for Europe (PfE) parliamentary group, which was also attended by representatives from Likud.

“We are the new protectors of Jewish interests,” Kickl said, urging that an “unprecedented crime against humanity” such as the Holocaust should “never be forgotten.”

Stating that in a federal government where he served as chancellor, “combating antisemitism” and “combating anti-Zionism” would form part of their political agenda, Kickl also spoke favourably regarding the de facto annexation of the West Bank.

While sharply criticising the EU for providing financial support to the Palestinians, Kickl stressed that he did not wish to “condemn Muslims as a whole.”

Nevertheless, he argued that “for many fanatical Muslims,” Islamism served as a “weapon against our way of life,” stating that this had introduced a new form of antisemitism to Europe.

Asserting that Jews required protection in many European cities, the FPO leader also expressed a desire to support the preservation of Jewish heritage in Austria and to build a vibrant, visible partnership.

In his speech, Kickl refrained from apologising to victims of National Socialism. He referred only to his “sorrow over what happened to Jewish citizens,” adding: “My thoughts are with all victims and survivors of National Socialism, their descendants, and the Jewish people.”

His address drew approval from members of the Israeli government. While Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed the speech, FPO Member of the European Parliament Harald Vilimsky reported that Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Chikli described the address as “a historic turning point in relations between the FPO, the State of Israel, and the Jewish people.”

Immediately following last year’s federal election, Chikli stated that the AfD was the party in Germany that most openly opposed support given to “anti-Israel groups.”

In his view, cooperation with that party could also become possible if it managed to distance itself from individual “voices” that, for example, trivialised the Waffen-SS.

Amid the current turmoil across the Near and Middle East, the European right views Israel as the “most reliable ally,” regarding it as a “Western outpost” in the Arab-Islamic world that must be supported at all costs.

Conversely, Israel’s Ambassador to Austria, David Roet, stated at the beginning of March this year that the State of Israel’s policy towards the FPO had not changed.

Even in January, during a visit by Vilimsky to Israel, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial had emphasised: “The FPO and AfD are parties whose roots lie in National Socialism.”

Yet, even during the conference, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev openly welcomed this positive development. Vilimsky remarked: “All these statements show that we are on the right track.”

Vilimsky stated that the FPO wished to enter a new era with the Jewish world, noting that their objective was “to work towards good cooperation.”

However, his direct attack against the Vienna Jewish Community (IKG) provoked anger within the community. According to Vilimsky, the community’s leadership is “very, very left-wing.”