Austrian anti-Zionist Jews to hold congress in solidarity with Gaza

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VIENNA / ISTANBUL (AA) – A group of Jewish activists in Austria will host its first Jewish Anti-Zionist Congress in Vienna in June, activist Dalia Sarig-Fellner told Anadolu.

The congress aims to prove that criticizing Zionism is not antisemitism and to ensure anti-Zionist Jewish voices are heard globally on the issue of Palestine, said Sarig-Fellner, a member of the Vienna Jewish Anti-Zionist Initiative in Austria.

She said the initiative was founded after claims that last year’s Free Palestine Congress in Vienna made Jews feel unsafe.

Vienna was chosen as the location because it is the birthplace of Zionism, making it a symbolic place to take a stand against it, she added.

Besides antizionism, Sarig-Fellner said the primary focus will be on how Jewish organizations can support the freedom of Palestine.

She cited the ongoing war in Gaza as the main driving force behind the congress, saying it underscores the urgency of taking action to stop the violence “immediately.”

The event also aims to increase pressure on Western governments to end cooperation with Israel, she said.

There has been a “visible” effort in Austria to block pro-Palestinian events, she said. The first venue the group rented from a civil society organization was canceled without explanation within a day.

The congress, set to take place from June 13 to 15, will feature internationally recognized academics and activists known for their work on Palestine and Israel.

Notable speakers include Israeli historian Ilan Pappe, Palestinian researcher Salman Abu Sitta, American comedian and commentator Katie Halper, and Canadian academic Jacob Rapkin, Sarig-Fellner said.

The Austrian Anti-Zionist group is part of an umbrella organization called Jews for Justice for Palestinians, which collaborates with anti-Zionist Jewish networks worldwide.