Austria Elects Racist Party to Power

by: Jared Matas, Mazkir T’nua

Last week, a new government was formed in Austria which included the xenophobic and anti-immigrant Freedom Party, who’s leader Jarg Haider has a nasty habit of praising the Nazi SS army. This is something that should be of great concern to all of us. In response, Israel has recalled its ambassador, and the European Union is moving to censure Austria. Although I am pleased to see that Israel is not the only country reacting, I am a bit worried of the impact of these initiatives on democratic values. Haider was elected with 27% of the popular vote in Austria. In my opinion, the most appropriate response is to harshly condemn all racist and anti-immigrant comments that issue from the Freedom Party or Haider, but to only suspend diplomatic relations with Austria if they actually implement his party’s racist policies. Austria should know that we are watching them, and we hold the entire government, not just the Freedom Party, accountable for any inappropriate policies. One positive thing we should note, however, is the speed with which the international community moved to condemn Haider.

Garin Alpayim Prepares For Big Move

Meanwhile, there is much better news to report from within the movement. As the clock is ticking on the year Alpayim (2000), the members of Garin Alpayim, (HDNA members who are planning to move to Israel to create an urban Socialist community) are turning their dream into a reality. In the wake of the excitement from Veida, where urban socialist garinim were endorsed as a new direction for the movement, we are now focusing more on the practical, rather than ideological, issues which the garin must face.

I recently met with an Aliyah Shaliach to open up my ‘tik aliyah,’ the first official step in my process of becoming an Israeli citizen. Although I try not to fool myself about the challenges I’m going to face, I also very excited about the prospects that lie ahead. After I finish my term as Mazkir this summer (and after a short stint as Rosh Naaleh), I’m planning to join the nascent but growing community of Habonim Dror olim in Israel. Our garin is following the example set by a British Habonim garin, who created a socialist commune in Jerusalem (see article by Danya Cohen in this issue!).

Fulfilling Ahad Ha-Am’s vision (more or less), Israel is now the world-wide center of the Jewish people. I want to be in Israel to be a participant, rather than a spectator, in the emerging Jewish nation. But I also find there are a lot of things happening in Israel which I’m not so proud about - stuff like the second-class status of Israeli-Arabs, the politicization of religion, the discrimination that women suffer, to name a few. I want to be in Israel so that I can work to make Israel a country that Jews worldwide can truly be proud of. If you are at all intrigued by the possibility of living a Socialist-Zionist lifestyle, on either a short-term or long-term basis, I’d love to discuss my plans with you. Don’t hesitate to contact me: mazkir@habonimdror.org