Austria gives ‘Iranian Holocaust-deniers millions, Shoah survivors pastry’
"Those who do business with the Ayatollahs finance the Iranian nuclear weapons program and the threats of annihilation against Israel."
By BENJAMIN WEINTHALPolish born Mordechai Fox, an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor, wears a yellow Star of David on his jacket during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Vienna-based branch of the NGO Stop the Bomb issued a stinging indictment of Wolfgang Stanek, president of Austria’s umbrella parliament covering its nine state governments, because of his efforts to expand trade with the Islamic Republic of Iran.“Millions in business for the Holocaust denier regime in Iran and Linzer torte for Holocaust survivors in Israel - that sums up Austrian politics very well,” said Stefan Grigat, the academic director for Stop the Bomb, which seeks to halt the Iranian regime’s illicit nuclear weapons program. “As long as Austrian companies are able to keep the regime in Iran alive with political support, the statements [from politicians] about the fight against antisemitism are not to be taken seriously.”Days after Stanek’s visit with Iran’s ambassador, Upper Austria State Governor Thomas Stelzer sent Holocaust survivors in Israel a piece of “Original Linzer Torte,” a type of Austrian pastry.“Those who do business with the ayatollahs finance the Iranian nuclear weapons program and the threats of annihilation against Israel,” Grigat added.Stanek met with Iran’s ambassador to Austria, Abbas Bagherpour Ardekani, to expand business deals, according to Stop the Bomb, an NGO that advocates strong sanctions against Iran’s regime. The organization said Stanek is building business relations with an “antisemitic terror regime.”The US State Department under both the Obama and Trump administrations have classified Iran’s regime as the leading international state-sponsor of terrorism. Department officials have also said Iran’s regime is the top state-sponsor of Holocaust denial and antisemitism.Iran’s embassy in Vienna played a role in the plot to blow up an Iranian dissident conference in Paris in 2018. Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat serving as third counselor at Iran’s embassy, was charged with delivering explosives to a Belgium couple to blow up the conference.
