Israel

Austrian Airlines Resumes Operations with London and Tel Aviv

After the landing ban for passengers from the United Kingdom imposed by the Austrian government and the generally difficult air traffic situation with Israel in recent weeks, travel to London and Tel Aviv can now once again be offered by Austrian Airlines. Connections to China will, however, be suspended until April 9, 2021.

March 24, 2021

Israel's President Visits Van der Bellen

Israel's President Reuven Rivlin came to the Hofburg in Vienna to discuss with Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen Israel's concerns regarding Iran and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Austria's Federal President pleaded for a "way back to the negotiating table" with Iran hinting at the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was negotiated in Vienna in 2015.

March 19, 2021

Israel, Denmark and Austria Agree on Covid-19 Cooperation

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz agreed on establishing a joint research and development foundation as well as on vaccine production. Chancellor Kurz stressed the importance of global cooperation in the fight against Covid-19.

March 5, 2021

Kurz Demands Benefits for Covid-19 Vaccinated

In a video summit with other EU heads of states, Chancellor Kurz promotes a so-called "green passport", which would allow Covid-19 vaccinated, tested and recovered to have certain benefits. The opinions of the different EU countries vary and a consensus is yet to be found in this matter.

February 25, 2021

Speaker of Israeli Parliament Met Sobotka

Israel's Speaker of Parliament, Yariv Levin, and Austria's National Council President, Wolfgang Sobotka, met virtually to discuss current issues. The agenda of the meeting comprised the fight against Covid-19 in all its facets, the work of parliaments in times of the pandemic and security issues in the parliamentary operations.

January 22, 2021

New Music Director for Volksoper

The Volksoper Wien will have a new music director as of September 2022. Together with the recently announced new opera director Lotte de Beer, Omer Meir Wellber wants to "make the Volksoper one of the most exciting European music theaters". Both De Beer and Wellber bring a lot of experience to their new jobs in Vienna.

December 11, 2020

Agreement Between Israel and Austria on the Joint Use of Archival Materials

The agreement between the Israeli and Austrian governments to a joint use of archival materials is one step closer to be actually implemented. This cooperation would enhance the cooperation of the two countries with regard to the reappraisal of the Holocaust as well as to the fight against anti-Semitism.

October 16, 2020

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Visits Austria

The visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Austria comprised discussions with highest officials of the Austrian government including Chancellor Kurz and President Van der Bellen. Discussions were held about the Covid-19 pandemic, bilateral relations as well as about topics of international importance.

August 17, 2020

New IOM Regional Director Renate Held Presents Credentials at UN Vienna

The new Permanent Representative of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to the United Nations, Renate Held, presented her credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna. The IOM has offices in 19 countries and territories in the "South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region" (SEEECA) including sub-regional offices in Central Asia and the Western Balkans.

July 22, 2020

Ground-breaking Ceremony for the Shoah Wall of Names Memorial in Ostarrichi Park in Vienna

The responsibility for the historical responsibility with regard to the darkest chapters of Austrian history now finds a visible sign of remembrance of the victims of National Socialism in the Memorial to the Jews from Austria murdered in the Shoah.

July 8, 2020

Austrian Airlines Cancels All Flights to Tel Aviv

Due to the new entry restrictions imposed by the Israeli government, Austrian Airlines is forced to discontinue its flight connection to Tel Aviv as of today, Sunday, 8 March 2020. An adapted flight programme will continue to take passengers from Israel back to Austria and other countries.

March 8, 2020

Israel Issues Entry Ban for Austrians

Out of concern about the spread of the coronavirus, Israel is extending the tightened entry requirements to Austria as well as Italy, Germany, Spain, France and Switzerland. The prohibition includes the holding international conferences in Israel.

March 4, 2020 · Updated: March 5, 2020; 22:09

Vienna Welcomes New Ambassadors from Australia, Israel, UAE, Kenya, Cuba and Libya

Recently Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen welcomed the six newly accredited Ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates, the Commonwealth of Australia, the State of Israel, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Cuba and the State of Libya to Austria to the Presidential Chancellery of the Vienna Imperial Palace for the presentation of their letters of accreditation.

December 3, 2019

Meet the New Ambassador of the State of Israel, H.E. Mr. Mordechai Denis Paul Rodgold

The new Ambassador of the State of Israel to Austria, H.E. Mr. Mordechai Denis Paul Rodgold presented Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen with his letter of accreditation at the Vienna Hofburg.

December 2, 2019

Current Austrian Ambassador to Israel to Become Top Diplomat in the United States

Ambassador Martin Weiss, the current Ambassador in Tel Aviv and former Speaker of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, will become the new Austrian Ambassador in Washington D.C., USA.

January 24, 2019 · Updated: November 7, 2019; 09:12

Austria's Oldest Holocaust Survivor Marko Feingold Dies at 106

The oldest Austrian survivor of the atrocities of National Socialism, Marko Feingold, was a significant contemporary witness to the Holocaust.

September 23, 2019

Reception on the Occasion of the Jewish New Year Festival Rosh Hashanah

The two-day Jewish New Year festival Rosh Hashanah lasts from the evening before 30 September to 01 October 2019 and is always celebrated 163 days after the Passover. At a reception at the Austrian Federal Chancellery, Chancellor Bierlein and Foreign Minister Schallenberg thanked the guests for coming, in particular the Ambassador of the State of Israel for her tireless bilateral commitment.

September 23, 2019

IAEA Memorial Ceremony in Honour of Director General Yukiya Amano

At a memorial service held at IAEA headquarters in Vienna in the presence of Mrs. Yukika Amano, dignitaries, diplomats, IAEA colleagues and member states paid tribute to late Director General Yukiya Amano, who passed away last month. Attendees included Heinz Fischer, Alexander Schallenberg and Satoshi Suzuki, Japan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

August 23, 2019

New Resident Representatives to the IAEA Presented Their Credentials

The IAEA welcomed 12 new Resident Representatives from Sri Lanka, The Netherlands, Slovenia, France, Ukraine, Brunei Darussalam, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Israel, the Republic of Korea, Iraq and Montenegro who presented their credentials this summer.

August 22, 2019

IAEA - Romanian Ambassador has been Designated Acting Director General

Ambassador Cornel Feruta of Romania, head-coordinator of the IAEA since 2013, has been responsible for coordinating the Agency's internal and external activities. As a consequence of the recent passing away of Director General Yukiya Amano, he has been designated Acting Director General at the IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency.

July 25, 2019

IAEA Member States Pay Tribute to Late Director General Yukiya Amano

During a Board of Governors meeting held at the IAEA headquarters, Member States paid their respects to Director General Yukiya Amano, who recently passed away. Delegations expressed deep sadness and a sense of great loss at his passing, commending Mr. Amano for his dedication and devotion to the work of the Agency and to the peaceful uses of nuclear technology for the benefit of people around the world.

July 25, 2019

IAEA Nuclear Watchdog Chief Yukiya Amano Died at 72

The boss of the Vienna-based IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano is dead. The Japanese was 72 years old. The longtime Japanese diplomat held the IAEA's top job since December 2009. The cause of his death is unclear. According to IAEA, Amano passed away as a result of his illness. Amano’s death comes at a time of increasing concerns and escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.

July 22, 2019 · Updated: July 24, 2019; 13:00

Diplomats for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2019

More and more embassies, delegations and permanent representations to international organisations supported this day (IDAHOBIT), that raises awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide, as well as EuroPride 2019 in Vienna.

May 29, 2019

Antisemitism in Austria - Initiative to Reverse Worrying Trends

As the Jewish community in Austria reports growing concerns about the rise of antisemitism, at the invitation of the FRA - EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, local and EU policymakers, Jewish community organisations and civil society met to discuss how to combat this worrying trend.

May 3, 2019

New Working Holiday Program Enables Young Argentinians to Experience Living in Austria

Austria includes the largest Spanish-speaking nation, Argentina, in its range of working holiday programmes, so that in the future young people between 18 and 30 years of age from both countries will be able to travel more easily to the other country and gain new valuable experience on the labour market during a given period.

April 5, 2019

Silvana Meixner Receives Ari Rath Prize for Critical Journalism 2019

ORF journalist and presenter Silvana Meixner will be awarded the second Ari-Rath Prize for Critical Journalism on May 6th, 2019, the Day of Freedom of the Press. This prize was established to honour journalists who have rendered outstanding services to critical reporting on immigration, expulsion and asylum, committed to respect for human rights, in the spirit of the former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, Ari Rath (pictured) who died in January 2017.

April 4, 2019

Fight Against Anti-Semitism - The Jewish Community in NYC and Austria

As part of his trip to the USA, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz met David Harris, Executive Director of the AJC American Jewish Committee, and once again Holocaust survivor Rabbi Arthur Schneier.

February 21, 2019

Meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - Focus on Middle East Conflict

The meeting between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Austrian Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz focused on the Middle East conflict. According to Kurz, the USA is currently working on "a solution to the situation in the Middle East". The US will therefore "probably present a proposal" before the end of this year.

February 21, 2019

Israel and Austria Sign Agreement on Continued Business Cooperation

On the sidelines of the state visit to Israel and the Austrian-Israeli Business Forum at the Hotel Intercontinental in Tel Aviv, the Economy ministers from Israel and Austria signed an agreement to accelerate business and entrepreneurial cooperation.

February 6, 2019

Visit to the Palestinian Territories: Austria's Van der Bellen for a Two-State Solution

Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah: "We are friends of Israel AND of the Palestinians. We want to deepen relations with both sides". Mahmoud Abbas thanked Austria for the "historical relationships" cultivated since Bruno Kreisky.

February 5, 2019

Israel State Visit: "Austria is jointly responsible for the Shoah"

During his state visit to Israel, Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen emphasised Austria's co-responsibility for the Shoah. In the Holocaust memorial Jad Vaschem Van der Bellen bowed before the Jewish victims of National Socialism. Meanwhile, as expected, there is no lifting of the boycott against Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl or members of the Freedom Party's cabinet.

February 4, 2019

Business Mission and "Future Trip" to Tel Aviv as Part of the State Visit of Van der Bellen

On the occasion of the official state visit of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WKO) is organising an economic mission entitled "Infrastructure" as well as the "Open Innovation for Corporates" future trip to Tel Aviv.

February 4, 2019

Austrian-Israeli Economic Relations - 20% Increase in Exports

On the occasion of the official state visit of Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and the accompanying business delegation of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, the issue of the actual state of economic relations has arisen. The Austrian-Israeli foreign trade volume amounted to 568 million euros in 2017, with a trade balance surplus for Austria of 229 million euros. The Chamber of Commerce reports that Austrian exports to Israel increased by 20.3% in 2017. The trend seems to have continued in 2018. More than 600,000 overnight stays by Israeli tourists make Israel one of the top nations in Austrian tourism statistics.

February 4, 2019

Meet the Ambassador of the State of Israel to Austria: H.E. Ms. Talya Lador-Fresher

Ambassador Talya Lador-Fresher has been Ambassador of the State of Israel in Austria since 2015 and is Israel's permanent representative at the International Organizations in Vienna. She once told "The Diplomatic Club", that "It is hard to be a diplomat, it is harder to be an Israeli diplomat and even harder to be an Israeli woman diplomat."

January 30, 2019

Holocaust Remembrance Day in Vienna: "We Remember"

On 27 January, the 74th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp by the Red Army was celebrated. On the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day various commemorative events were held in Vienna, among others by the Vienna Israelite Community at Heldenplatz.

January 29, 2019

Leonard Bernstein - "I am enjoying Vienna enormously - as much as a Jew can"

An exhibition in the Jewish Museum Vienna to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the star conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein focuses on the New Yorker’s relationship with the music city of Vienna, looks at the great artist’s Jewish roots, and also pays homage to his political activities.

December 14, 2018

Anti-Semitism Conference in Vienna - Austria to Win Israel's Favor

A high-ranking conference against antisemitism with the motto "Europe beyond Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism - Securing Jewish Life in Europe" took place in Vienna. Participants included Ariel Muzicant, Vice-President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), Education Minister Heinz Faßmann, EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova, EPP Group Leader Manfred Weber, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Anatoliyovych Klimkin and Chancellor Kurz. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had had to cancel his participation at short notice because of the government crisis in his home country. Likewise not a single official representative of the Austrian Freedom Party was present.

November 22, 2018

Erection of the Vienna Shoah Memorial Wall about to Begin

The long-planned project of a name memorial wall for the 66,000 Jews murdered in Austria during National Socialism is about to be realized. Kurt Tutter, initiator of the name wall, explained the significance of the new memorial, which will be erected in Ostarrichi Park. For him, it was a matter of commemorating his family as well as families unknown to him who had been completely wiped out by Nazi crimes.

November 9, 2018

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in Vienna

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin met Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen during a stopover in Vienna. Bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East were discussed.

October 12, 2018

Israel - Austria Relations: Lifting of Sanctions Against Kneissl is Nearing

According to information in the daily newspapers "Die Presse" and "Der Standard" on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Israel plans to lift its ban on contacts with Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl. Netanyahu ordered Israeli authorities in December 2017 to refrain from contacts with FPÖ ministers. Although Kneissl is not a party member, she has been nominated by the Austrian Freedom Party FPÖ. However, the official Israeli contact ban will continue to apply to FPÖ government members.

September 26, 2018

Austrian Military Investigation into the Golan Heights Ambush: Soldiers' Actions Correct

In September 2012, Austrian UN soldiers on the Golan did not prevent Syrian security forces from entering a deadly ambush. The disciplinary assessment concludes that the conduct of Austria's soldiers had been stressful, but correct, so that the soldiers do not need to be prosecuted.

June 5, 2018

Flight Connection Kuwait-Vienna Carries Arab-Israeli Conflict to Austria

State-owned Kuwait Airways, which will resume operations between Kuwait and Vienna in early June for the summer months, does not carry Israeli citizens. The official reason is a Kuwaiti law from 1964, which bans all companies of the 3.5 million inhabitant oil state from doing business with Israelis.

May 29, 2018

Austrian Exports to the Palestinian Territories Better than Ever

Despite the current tensions between the State of Palestine and Austria over the participation of Ambassador Martin Weiss in the US Embassy Opening Ceremonies, the Austrian Foreign Trade Centers Amman and Tel Aviv are planning a Fact Finding Mission to Ramallah and Amman for the second half of 2018. Austrian exports of goods to the Palestinian Territories increased by +108% in 2017.

May 17, 2018

US Embassy Opening in Jerusalem: Palestinian Ambassador to Austria Called Back to Palestine in Protest

The Austrian Ambassador to Israel, Martin Weiss, was one of only four EU Ambassadors (Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania) who participated in the celebrations surrounding the US embassy relocation to Jerusalem. The Palestinian leadership pointed out some time ago that not only the act but also the timing is a violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions, as well as arrogant disrespect. Therefore, the Palestinian Ambassador to Austria, Salah Abdel Shafi, has been called back to Palestine for an indefinite period of time.

May 16, 2018

Update of Austria's Probe of UN Golan Troops Over Deaths of Syrians

According to media reports, the video, which shows the fatal incident in September 2012 on the Golan Heights, when Austrian blue helmet soldiers sent 9 Syrian security forces into a deadly ambush, was used as a "training film". In parallel with these reports, the former Defence Minister points out that the start of the Syrian Civil War has removed the basis of the UN mandate, which should focus exclusively on monitoring the ceasefire between Syria and Israel.

May 4, 2018

Teddy Kollek Exhibition at the Jewish Museum Vienna

Teddy Kollek, who grew up in Vienna, and as mayor of Jerusalem for nearly three decades did more to build and develop the city as Israel’s primary city than any other figure while still seeking to meet the needs of its Arab residents, died in 2007 in Jerusalem. The Jewish Museum in Vienna is showing a retrospective entitled "Teddy Kollek - The Viennese Mayor of Jerusalem".

May 1, 2018

Presentation of the First Ari Rath Prize for Critical Journalism

Journalist Alexandra Föderl-Schmid will be awarded the First Ari-Rath Prize for Critical Journalism on 3 May 2018, the Day of Freedom of the Press. This prize was established to honour journalists who have rendered outstanding services to critical reporting on immigration, expulsion and asylum, committed to respect for human rights, in the spirit of the former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, who died in January 2017.

April 23, 2018

New Double Taxation Agreement Between Israel and Austria

After almost 50 years, a new double taxation agreement (DTA) for income and capital taxes was signed between Israel and Austria, which includes substantial tax relief.

April 10, 2018

AUA Starts with Summer Flight Schedule 2018: More Flights to Germany, but CEE Remains Core Market

Austrian Airlines offers a flight program with 138 destinations in 55 countries in summer 2018.

March 26, 2018

Austrian Attaché at Tel Aviv Embassy Poses in T-Shirt of Right-Wing Identitarians

Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl has recalled Jürgen-Michael Kleppich, Attaché at the Austrian Embassy in Tel Aviv. The reason for this are media reports that shortly after Kleppich moved to Israel in January 2018, he posted a picture of himself in a T-shirt from the shop of right-wing extremist Identitarian Movement on Facebook.

March 22, 2018
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