Venue for Palestine Congress in Vienna: Printing and controversy

Von WOM

In a surprising turn, the controversial Palestine Congress, which was planned for the coming weekend, was relocated to Vienna favorites at short notice. This happened after the owners of the originally planned event location in Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus allegedly canceled the reservation.

The organizers of the congress announced that the pressure from the Vienna city government was so strong that the original location, the protection house future on the enamel, was withdrawn. With the relocation, the organizers want to ensure that the event, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, is not canceled. The congress falls shortly before the first anniversary of Hamas' fatal attack on South Israel, in which 1200 people were killed and many more kidnapped.

violent reactions and criticism

The decision to hold the congress in this context met with massive criticism. The Israelite cultural community (IKG) commented and described the event as a "unbearable provocation". IKG general secretary Benjamin Nägele criticized the organization in the "Volksblatt" and drawn attention to the sensitivity of the topic, since the congress takes place only a few days after the cruel anniversary. The IKG and the ÖVP are calling for a clear positioning against the event.

The list of announced speakers is particularly critical. This includes, among other things, the controversial rector of the University of Glasgow, Ghassan Abu Sitta, who will speak via video message. Former Greek Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis will also take part in the discussion via live circuit. In addition, there are other prominent pro-Palestinian voices that should contribute to the lively debate about the topic.

The Palestinian ambassador in Vienna, Salah Abdel-Shafi, will also be present at the congress, which also heats up the tensions. The Secretary General of the Arabic-Austrian Society, Fritz Edlinger, will also speak. Video opportunities are also planned, such as the Israeli historian Ilan Pappe and other pro-Palestinian activists.

The police made it clear in a statement that it has no legal scope in order to be able to prohibit the congress, since this is not a meeting within the meaning of the Assembly Act. This raises questions about how far the political pressure on the organizers and the localities has progressed.

Overall, it is clear that the relocation of the congress and the associated events will rekindle the public discussion about the topics of Palestine and Israel. The organizers stick to their project, while the critical voices are getting louder, especially with regard to the very emotionally charged context of the event.

In this tense situation, it remains to be seen how public perception and reactions to the congress will develop, especially in view of the fact that this event could not only attract local but also international attention. Further details on this topic can be found in a detailed report at www.diepresse.com .