Word: austrian
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Natural Target. Austrians, who despite initial dismay eventually rallied to the support of their socialist Chancellor, protested that his action was not a response to terrorism. Rather, they claimed, it was an administrative decision in which the government actually "suggested" to the kidnapers that it would alter its policy in exchange for the lives of the hostages. It was made because Austria, as one government official explained it, "was gradually becoming a battleground" in the continuing Israeli-Arab conflict. Jerusalem's Vienna-born Mayor Teddy Kollek protested in a telegram to Kreisky: "Anyone who applies different standards to Jews...
...Austrian oversight, however, was that neither Kreisky nor others who favored closing Schönau fully recognized the symbolism involved. Said an Austrian diplomat: "We did not realize the emotional importance of Schönau for Israel and therefore for the Arabs...
Arab satisfaction was at such a peak, in fact, that considerable publicity and credence was initially given to a statement supposedly issued by the group claiming responsibility for the Austrian operation. It warned the "friendly Soviet Union that its embassies and interests in the Middle East and the world will be a target for the strikes of our guerrillas, unless it stops emigrant operations to Israel." Arab spokesmen later claimed the statement was a hoax...
...stanch what Israel perceives to be its future life's blood. While officially Golda Meir's government demands that Schönau be kept open, a campaign to find other, more secure channels of emigration is quietly under way. Soviet emigrants might continue to use the Austrian route if the transit period can indeed be cut down. But Israeli authorities find great difficulty in planning for airline space, largely because they do not know how many emigrants will arrive on a given day. Says one Israeli official: "Moscow certainly does not cooperate with us. We never know...
Privately, Austrian leaders now realize that Kreisky's decision, however rationalized in terms of Austria's own self-interest, was appallingly inept. Because of this belated recognition, the Chancellor has not taken any steps to interrupt the flow of Soviet Jews to Austria-at least...