Austrian ambassador: Embassy will remain in Tel Aviv for now

Austrian Ambassador to Israel Martin Weiss tells The Times of Israel at the US embassy reception that while his country has no plans to move its embassy to Israel “for the time being…that doesn’t change the fact that today is a very joyous day for Israel and the Israeli people.”

“This is a day of celebration for Israel from across the political spectrum. If you ask any Israeli on the street, whether he’s left-wing or right-wing, what the capital of Israel is, they’ll look at you weird. It’s obvious,” he says.

“However, the EU and Austria have a different position. The Austrian embassy is in Tel Aviv and will also remain in Tel Aviv for the time being. But that doesn’t mean that when the Israeli prime minister invites me to an event that I can’t go.”

“We can have a policy disagreement but that doesn’t change the fact that today is a very joyous day for Israel and the Israeli people.”

— Raphael Ahren