I'm a child of Austrian Jews and whose relatives (including my paternal grandparents) were either deported and survived the horrors of Theresienstadt or were dragged off and immediately murdered in such places such as Maidenek, Maly Trostinec, and others. The Austrians couldn't wait to turn in their Jewish neighbors and send them to the Viennese Ghetto before deportation, it was told me over and over again while I was growning up. Although born in NYC, I lived briefly in Vienna as a child in 1969 and it was creepy then, I recently visited a handful of cousins living in Vienna and it felt just as creepy now - 40 years after the war (one can also factor in the fast rising Moslem population into the mix and it makes one want to get into and out of the city as fast as possible.) One Friday night my cousins and I went to Shul "under the cloak of darkness to an unmarked tiny Synagogue on a side-street." It could have been 1938 not 2005. The Austrian mentality will never change; they are Jew-haters to the bone. My cousin was recently passed over for a promotion because they "found out" that she had a Jewish mother. Whatever Jew is able to leave Vienna should; I can't imagine why any Jew would want to live there. Anti-Semitism still hangs in the air no matter how you slice it or pretend it is not there.

We don't even live in Austria or Europe but the SOCIALISTS cannot wait to destroy Israel and the Jews. Wake up it is not the time to fear the extreme right when the socialists tell you they agree Israel should be wiped off the map!

I agree with #2.... lets not forget when the socialists were in charge of the country in the 70s, 7 (or so) ministers were former, known NASDAP members... Austria has a complex political party history...lets not forget that... One last point: the new socialist leader went to russia and kissed the floor there and said that this is his homeland!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp-HeVKu-ks

I am also an Austrian citizen , married to an Israeli.THough I too have critique of my country I think this article paints a very wrong picture.Austria is not a fascist country and I take offense at someone calling my family or friends in this manner. Austrians have their own issues namely immigration and are voting because they are worried about what the effect the immigration from the East has had on Austria. THough everytime we vote this way we are accused of being fascist.This is not the case and I think it is time that people stopped using the fascist card everytime they feel like it. Reserve it for real problems not my country.

With xenophobes and racists like Avigdor Lieberman playing such a prominent and respected role in Israeli politics ( and having contacts with their 'colleagues' in France, Austria etc. ) Israelis should think twice before they start pointing fingers in the direction of Austria and other European countries.

As a jew living in Austria, I have seldom experienced anti-semitic events. The main theme of the two populist parties today are the problems with immigrants from the east (especially with islamic faith), which I have to admit, I'm also worried a bit.

To the readers of Beck's article: I wish you would see the Austrian population more differentiated (see #1 that says "The Austrian mentality will never change; they are Jew-haters to the bone."). That's nonsense. It's true there's a big problem with Haider & his followers. But observe the young generation in Austria that is different from the old one - the young ones learned a lot from history - the old generation maybe not. The big task now is to improve in teaching future generations of being tolerant. Georg Beilhack, Austria

I was born in Vienna and deported from Vienna in 1941 and liberated in Buchenwald in 1945. Juda verrecke still rings in my ears. In 1945 Austria denied any participation although the Morzinplatz and Prinz Eugen Strasse were headquarters of Eichmann , et. al.