What unfolded yesterday in the European Parliament marks a historic turning point in the relationship between Austria’s Freedom Party, the State of Israel and the Jewish people. More than a turning point, this was a crossing of the Rubicon, following a long process of building trust, deepening cooperation, and creating a genuine political bridge between Israel and Austria’s Freedom Party. The speech delivered yesterday by Herbert Kickl, Federal Chairman of the Freedom Party of Austria, in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, was one of the most significant speeches ever delivered by an Austrian politician regarding Israel and the Jewish people. I had the privilege of being part of this process and of helping advance it over the past two years, together with my friend Harald @vilimsky, Member of the European Parliament for the Freedom Party of Austria, and Yossi Dagan, Chairman of the Samaria Regional Council. Here are the key passages from his speech: “Ladies and gentlemen, It has been nearly three years since Hamas carried out the most severe attack on Israel from Gaza since the state’s founding, and the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Thousands of rockets. Terrorists breached the border fence. Well over a thousand dead, mostly civilians: children, women and the elderly. 251 hostages were abducted to Gaza. That was not so called ‘resistance’. It was a crime against humanity. The deliberate killing of civilians and the taking of hostages are clearly war crimes. I do not wish to pass blanket judgment on Muslims here. Millions of people of the Muslim faith reject violence and want to live in peace. But Islamism is not a private matter of faith. It is a politically extremist ideology. Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Boko Haram, they all preach the same hatred toward who we are, what we believe in and what we stand for... Across Europe, antisemitism is on the rise. Experts warn that Europe could experience many small ‘October 7ths’. That must not happen. And it will not happen if patriotic forces take responsibility. This must be stated honestly and without hesitation. Islamism is a politically extremist ideology. It threatens our states, our legal systems, Christians and Jews, as well as our Western values. In many European cities, synagogues and Jewish schools require heavy security. Students hide their Star of David. Families wonder whether Europe still offers them a future. Jewish citizens must be able to study, work, pray, assemble and participate in public life without fear, no ifs, ands or buts. Their safety is the benchmark for the freedom of the entire republic. As chairman of the FPÖ, I also stand here in the tradition of my country and my party. I take responsibility for today and tomorrow. Combating antisemitism and protecting Jewish life will be part of the agenda of a federal government that I intend to lead, if the Austrian people grant us the mandate and cast their votes for us. Antisemitism must be rejected, no matter where it comes from: from the far right, from the radical left, from conspiracy movements and from Islamist networks that have gained influence through illegal migration. A credible commitment also requires confronting one’s own history. As an Austrian, I in particular wish to reaffirm this. The unprecedented crime against humanity that was the Holocaust must not be forgotten. As chairman of the Freedom Party of Austria, I express my deep regret before this international audience and sincerely apologize to the Jewish citizens of Austria, to the victims and survivors of National Socialism, to their descendants and to the Jewish people. There must be no relativization of the Holocaust and no tolerance for those who glorify that regime. We cannot undo the past. Unfortunately. But we can actively shape the future together. And we want to do this in concrete terms and without interpretation... >>>