Austrian Jewish Community Leader Slams Chancellor For Courting Iran

The president of the Jewish community in Vienna blasted Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and President Alexander Van der Bellen for providing a military honor welcome to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday. The largest German daily – the mass circulation Bild – urged Kurz to cancel his meeting with Rouhani and criticized his mainstreaming of Iran’s terrorist regime as a betrayal of European liberal values. Rouhani also met with Austrian business leaders to increase trade. United Against Nuclear Iran chairman and former US senator Joe Lieberman said in response to the arrests of four individuals, including the Iranian diplomat, who are accused of wanting to bomb the Iranian exile opposition group meeting in Paris: “While the investigation is ongoing, any involvement by Tehran would further signify the danger the regime represents globally,” adding that  “Iran has earned the distinction of being the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism for good reason. The latest incident is part of the regime’s long history of plotting, planning and scheming. If it is proven Tehran was involved in this plot, it’s time for the international community, particularly the European Union, to move beyond statements expressing outrage and toward specific actions that isolate Iran economically and politically.”