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“unity Slate” of Socialists, Zionists, Communists Wins in Vienna Kehilla, Election

December 16, 1949
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A “Unity Slate” composed of Zionists, Communists and Socialists has gained virtually complete control of the Vienna Jewish Community in the election for community officers held here Sunday, it was announced today. The “Unity Slate” received 4,996 votes against 268 for the rightist Federation of Jewish Merchants. Fifty-eight percent of the electorate participated in the ballotting.

The united slate came into existence as a demonstration of the community’s opposition to neo-fascism and anti-Semitism which are on the rise in Austria. The unity list is also designed to bring the Jews of Vienna into accord in their protest against nonfulfillment of their restitutions claims and to avoid an election campaign which it was felt would only weaken Jewish effectiveness. A committee of the Vienna Jewish Community has been working on a draft bill against anti-Semitism to be submitted to national authorities.

The 30 seats on the Community executive will be divided as follows: Socialists, 8; Zionists, 10; Communists, 11, and Merchants, one. The cooperating groups also agreed to hold the next election at least two years hence and to name a president from each of the three parties for a term of office of eight months apiece. The other two parties would be represented by vice-presidents during the periods that their loaders were not serving as president.

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