Bilateral Relations
Here you find information on the bilateral relations between Austria and Israel.
Cronology
- 1950: Israel and Austria establish consular relations; opening of Austrian Consulate General in Tel Aviv and Israeli Consulate in Vienna
- 1952: Israel officially renounces claims for „restitution“-payments by Austria
- 1953: Start of official negotiations on restitution between Austria and the Committee for Jewish Claims on Austria
- 1956: Status of the Israeli Consulate raised to „Delegation”, entering into full diplomatic relations
- 1957: Status of the Austrian Consulate General raised to „Delegation”
- 1959: Upgrade of both Delegations to Embassies
- 1961: Renunciation by Jewish organisations of further „restitution“-payments by Austria October
- 1973: Prime Minister Golda Meir in Vienna March
- 1974: Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky on Fact-Finding-Mission for “International Socialists” in Israel
- 1986: Kurt Waldheim elected as Austrian Federal President; downgrading of diplomatic relations by Israel
- 1990: downgrading of the Austrian diplomatic representation to level of Chargé d’Affaires
- June 1992: End of term of Federal President Kurt Waldheim; restoration of full diplomatic relations; Chargés d’Affaires upgraded to Ambassadors
- June 1993: Federal Chancellor Franz Vranitzky in Israel; speech at the Hebrew University Jerusalem admitting Austria’s “moral responsibility, because many Austrians welcomed the “Anschluss”, supported the Nazi-regime and helped it to function” and asking “for forgiveness of those who survived and forgiveness of the relatives of the victims”
- November 1994: Federal President Thomas Klestil in Israel
- 1995: Establishment of the „National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism“
- September 1997: Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu visits Austria
- March 1998: Counter visit by Federal Chancellor Viktor Klima
- October 1999: Austrian parliamentary elections; Freedom Party (FPÖ) receives 27% of votes; Israel recalls Ambassador; representation on level of Chargé d’Affaires
- July 2003: Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner visits Israel; normalisation of diplomatic relations
- November 2003: Return visit by Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom to Austria
- February 2004: Chargé d’Affaires Avraham Toledo accredited as Israeli Ambassador to Austria
- October 2004: Moshe Katsav first Israeli President on State Visit to Austria
- February 2005: Arrival of the new Israeli Ambassador Dan Ashbel in Vienna
- 2006: 50 years of diplomatic relations
(source: „Gratwanderungen“, Helga Embacher, Margit Reiter)
