Green Party foreign policy spokeswoman Ernst-Dziedzic criticized Austria’s electoral behavior in an interview. An abstention would have been “appropriate”. Her party later put the criticism into perspective: “The approach was approved.”
The fact that Austria voted on Friday against a UN General Assembly resolution to improve the humanitarian situation and in favor of an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was “not in line” with its green coalition partner . His foreign policy spokeswoman, Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, explained this to the “Tiroler Tageszeitung”. According to a “TT” broadcast on Sunday, the Greens’ attitude towards the decision of the ÖVP-led Ministry of Foreign Affairs was “distanced”.
These statements cited by “TT” were later relativized by the Greens to the APA. “The government is in absolute agreement – a resolution that neither contains Israel’s right to self-defense against terrorism nor condemns the actions of Hamas cannot gain our approval,” it said in a statement. However, it was confirmed: “The form of non-approval – whether through abstention or rejection – was not previously agreed by the coalition.” But: “Abstention would also have been possible. As a result, the Foreign Minister’s approach deserves the approval of the Greens.”
“International humanitarian law must always be respected”
According to “TT”, Ernst-Dziedzic said: “In our opinion, an abstention, which Germany decided, for example, would have been appropriate.” -defense, the lack of demand for the release of hostages or the lack of condemnation of Hamas terror.” And Ernst-Dziedzic added, according to “TT”: “International humanitarian law must always be respected.”
The position of the Foreign Ministry and the Foreign Ministry was as follows: “A resolution in which the terrorist organization Hamas is not named, in which the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7 are not condemned, and in which Israel’s right to self-defense, which is enshrined in international law, it is not condemned, it is upheld – such a resolution cannot be supported by Austria,” said Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) on X (formerly Twitter). “As a result, Austria voted against this resolution at the UN General Assembly,” emphasized the Foreign Ministry.
Criticism of the German Chancellor for abstaining
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) once again defended Germany’s abstention, criticized by Israel, in the vote on the Gaza resolution at the UN General Assembly. His country “worked hard to reach a United Nations General Assembly resolution that does justice to the situation,” Scholz said on Sunday during his visit to Nigeria. “When we were unsuccessful, we abstained from voting.”
The main objective of the negotiations was not to ignore “the fact that it was an aggression, a brutal and murderous aggression on the part of Hamas that killed many people, children, babies, grandfathers and grandmothers”, emphasized Scholz. “This cannot be accepted and we will clearly support Israel in defending its own security.”
Condemnation of all violence
The UN resolution, adopted by a two-thirds majority on Friday, condemns all violence against Israeli and Palestinian civilians, calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all “illegally detained” civilians and demands unrestricted humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip . It also calls for an “immediate, permanent and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire” that should lead to the “cessation of hostilities”. There is no clear condemnation of Hamas terror as the cause of the war.
120 countries voted in favor of the resolution, 45 abstained (including Germany), 14 were against (including Austria). Western EU and G7 states have not found common ground. While France and Spain voted in favor, Germany, Great Britain and Italy abstained. The US, along with several smaller EU states such as Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary, voted no. (APA)