Protesters in Vienna rally against Israeli parliament speaker's visit

By Askin Kiyagan

VIENNA (AA) – Demonstrators in the Austrian capital Vienna protested a visit by Israeli Parliament Speaker Amir Ohana on Tuesday, calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza.

The protest took place amid heightened security, with demonstrators kept 300 meters (984 feet) away from the parliament building, where Ohana was giving an address.

Supporters of Palestine gathered in front of the City Theater, holding Palestinian flags and banners with messages such as "No to genocide," "Free Gaza" and "Netanyahu, war criminal." Chants of "Boycott Israel," "End the genocide" and "Free Palestine" echoed as the protesters criticized the Austrian government for hosting Ohana.

The protest coincided with Ohana's address to the Austrian parliament on the topic of antisemitism, a move that many activists deemed controversial, given Israel's ongoing military actions in Gaza.

Among the speakers at the demonstration was Jewish-origin Palestinian activist Dalia Sarig-Fellner, who sharply criticized Austrian Parliament Speaker Wolfgang Sobotka for inviting Ohana.

Sarig-Fellner, speaking to the crowd, accused Sobotka of overlooking the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, where she said people have been "struggling to survive for 339 days."

She questioned the legitimacy of Ohana's presence.

"On what grounds do you invite Israeli Parliament Speaker Amir Ohana and supporters of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu to speak in the Austrian parliament? Mr. Sobotka, when will you invite Muslim leaders to address anti-Muslim racism?"

In a pointed message to Ohana delivered in both Hebrew and German, Sarig-Fellner condemned his role in the Israeli government's actions in Gaza, accusing him of complicity in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians.

"Amir Ohana, how can you come to Austria and speak on antisemitism while you are responsible for the genocide happening in Gaza? You will never be able to wash the blood from your hands. This blood belongs to (thousands of) Palestinians," she said.

Sarig-Fellner further called for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza, declaring that Ohana "belongs not in the Austrian parliament, but in prison."

Tension has escalated across the West Bank amid Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,000 people, mostly women and children, since an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

At least 694 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 5,700 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian figures.