Silly Little Country

Vienna is Sadly Not so Different

h/t Harry's Place. Karl Pfeifer reports:

The city of Vienna launched a promotion campaign with the slogan “Wien ist anders”: Vienna is different. And Vienna after the Second World War was different as it did not invite back its former Jewish citizens and tolerated anti-Semitism in politics and media for several decades.
After the publication of Carl Schorske’s book “Fin de siècle in Vienna” the city of Vienna discovered that the world wants to know more about the blooming of culture in Vienna and about those Jews who contributed to it. Since then the city of Vienna has opened a Jewish Museum, and Michael Häupl, the Social Democratic mayor, condemned the anti-Semitic election campaign in 2001 by the FPÖ of Jörg Haider.

Though he now document's hte community's surprise, I confess I have none:

Therefore it was a surprise to the Jewish community when the Vienna City Council (Wiener Gemeinderat) voted unanimously for an anti-Israeli resolution initiated by Omar al Rawi, a Social Democratic member of city council.

Anti-Zionism you will say and a concern for huan rights! Don't you dare suggest anti-Semitism.
So the evidence-gathering begins.
Three letter sent to request that the City Council comdemn three utterly egregious violations of human rights. And of course nary a peep.
Pfeifer concludes:

Foreigners should consider the slogan “Vienna is different” as a dangerous threat. And you can inform the president of Vienna City Council G. Schuster (godwin.schuster@spw.at) that anti-Semitism manifests itself by applying one standard to the State of Israel and another to the behaviour of any other nation.

posted by Alan Adamson @ 11:33 PM