Israel’s Envoy to Austria Urges Israel to Cool Anti-waldheim Rhetoric

Israel’s Ambassador to Austria, Michael Elizur, has called for a calming of rhetoric in Israel over Kurt Waldheim and a “comprehensive investigation” into his alleged Nazi past before “jumping to conclusions” about the Austrian Presidential candidate.

Elizur reportedly sent a cable to the Foreign Ministry expressing reservations over Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir’s attacks on Waldheim. Shamir said last weekend that Waldheim’s election would be a “tragedy,” a remark sharply criticized in Austria as intervention in the country’s internal affairs.

WARNS AGAINST UNRESTRAINED ATTACKS

According to the Army Radio, Elizur warned the Foreign Ministry that unrestrained attacks on Waldheim could only harm relations with Austria and increase the popularity of the former UN Secretary General, who is alleged to have participated in Nazi atrocities in the Balkans during-World War II.

Waldheim, candidate of the conservative People’s Party, won 49.66 percent of the vote in last Sunday’s elections in Austria. He faces his Socialist rival, Kurt Steyrer, in a run-off election June 8.

Elizur’s position is closer to that of Premier Shimon Peres than Shamir’s. Peres said at Sunday’s Cabinet meeting that the Waldheim matter should be studied carefully “so that we do not fall into inaccuracies.” The Cabinet refrained from discussing it.

The Army Radio reported Monday that if Waldheim is elected, the Foreign Ministry would delay the dispatch of a new Ambassador to Vienna to replace Elizur, whose term expires this summer. That would be done to avoid having the new envoy present his credentials to Waldheim, assuming he is elected.

According to the Army Radio, Elizur took strong exception to proposals to extend his term and suggested instead that his tour in Vienna be terminated before there is a change of Presidents in Austria.

KOLLEK INVITES AUSTRIAN PAINTER TO JERUSALEM

Meanwhile, Mayor Teddy Kollek of Jerusalem has invited the Austrian painter, Ernst De Gaspari, to visit the city. This was a direct slap at Mayor Uri Amit of Ramat Gan, who postponed an exhibition of De Gaspari’s work there because of protests over the heavy vote for Waldheim last Sunday.

Kollek said public outcries should not interfere with what is good for the country and that in any event he considered De Gaspari a friend of Israel and a representative of that half of the Austrian electorate which voted against Waldheim.

“We found good people among the Germans and if there are zadikim in Austria, De Gaspari is one,” Kollek said.