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February 11, 2000/5 Adar 1 5760, Vol. 52, No.23
ADL advocates dialogue with Austrian nationNEW YORK - The Anti-Defamation League is setting itself apart from Israel and most other American Jewish organizations in its refusal to boycott Austria."I don't think you deal with the problem" of the extreme-right Freedom Party's participation in Austria's governing coalition by isolating Austria, said the national director of the ADL, Abraham Foxman. "The way you deal with (it is) to interact with the Austrians." The inclusion of Jorg Haider, who has praised Hitler's employment policies and members of the Nazi SS, then apologized for the remarks, has sparked international condemnation and calls for Austria to be diplomatically isolated. Israel recalled its ambassador to Austria, and the 14 governments of the European Union downgraded diplomatic relations with Vienna. Several Jewish organizations have issued statements calling for the Austria's diplomatic isolation. The ADL is the only major American Jewish organization with offices in Austria, and the ADL rents office space to the Austrian mission to the United Nations - other tenants include the European Union and Spain - at its building in New York. Foxman, who said his group receives no money from the Austrian government, said these facts had no impact on his group's opposition to the isolation campaign. "If a country that rented space from us became a neo-Nazi dictatorship, yes, we'd evict them, but that's not where Austria is," said Foxman. Haider is an opportunist, a xenophobe and a demagogue, "but he is not an anti-Semite or a neo-Nazi," Foxman said. Isolating Austria is "a mistake," he said. "All that would do is strengthen Haiderism in Austria. "When we isolated them last time, they elected Kurt Waldheim president," Foxman said, referring to the former Nazi who served as president of Austria in the late 1980s.Instead, he advocates "engaging and challenging" Austrians, "saying let's work together to develop programs which deal with the past, deal with democracy and fight xenophobia." |
