Following the attack in Vienna, Austrian Chancellor Kurtz in an interview with Israel Today: "The event is not ruled out on an antisemitic background" •
Austrian Chancellor winks at the scene of the attack in Vienna
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Young and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz has been going through long and difficult days since forming his second government in early January this year.
Shortly after the formation of the precedent-setting coalition in Europe between a conservative party, led by him, and the Greens, the corona plague began - which is now hitting Austria again, more forcefully, in a way that must impose a fairly broad closure across the country.
Documentation: The shooting near a synagogue in Vienna
On Tuesday evening, shortly before the closure, the Islamist terrorist attack in the historic heart of Vienna took place, ending in at least four casualties and about 20 wounded, some seriously.
Despite the retrospective state of emergency in Austria, and in the shadow of the ongoing intensive investigations into whether the assassinated terrorist acted alone or was part of a terrorist cell, the Chancellor - a great friend of Israel - found time to interview Israel Today.
"The terrorist attack in Vienna, which is clearly an Islamist terrorist attack, is not an isolated case but part of a system of numerous attacks carried out against Europe," says Kurtz.
"This is an attack on our democracy, on our basic values, on the European model of life. We will not be able to intimidate these acts of terrorism, we will hunt down anyone who gave their hand to this attack and we will bring them to justice."
Is it possible to rule out the possibility that this attack had an antisemitic background?
"It is not possible to rule out the possibility that the attack had an antisemitic background. We know that it was an Islamic terrorist attack, the threat expressed loyalty to ISIS and the attack began right in front of the synagogue in Vienna. Antisemitic background. "
According to the findings of your current investigation, was a large terrorist organization behind this attack?
"Throughout the night after the attack, special units conducted searches in private homes, and 14 people from around the attack were arrested. In the coming days, we will know if there was a broader organization behind the attack and who he had contact with. I would like to explicitly thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who did not He only expressed his condolences to us, but ensured the full cooperation of the Israeli authorities and intelligence services. "
The perpetrator was sitting in a prison in Austria after trying to join ISIS. The period of imprisonment imposed on him was shortened and he was released. Was this a mistake in your opinion?
"Now we need to find out how it happened."
French President Emmanuel Macron plans to take action against political Islam in his country. Should the whole of the EU adopt and implement such a plan?
"Macron and I are in touch. It is important not only to fight terrorism but also the ideology behind terrorism. We must fight political Islam, that is, radical Islamism, as it is an ideology with a deep hatred for our model of life and our free society."
You mentioned your conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu. What is the level of cooperation between Austria and Israel on the issue of the fight against terrorism?
"Excellent cooperation at the political level, as well as the various authorities.
I am very grateful for the support that Israel gives us, especially in this area, and for providing us with its knowledge on the subject. "
What do you think is a bigger threat - Islamist terrorism or the Corona epidemic?
"The Corona virus is a huge challenge for the whole world, for all European countries. For us in Austria this has been the main issue for months. The virus is causing an economic crisis in many countries. But right now our thoughts are with the victims of the attack, and we will do everything ".
It is impossible to end an interview this week without referring to the US presidential election. Some see it as a fateful event for the future of the world. What does this election mean for you?
"Democratic election results are always important, and the larger these democracies are, .
But we in Austria now have other concerns and we will concentrate on them. "
The terrorist acted alone
Vienna resembled a ghost town yesterday.
The magnificent boulevards and picturesque alleys of the first quarter, the historic center of the Austrian capital, which became the scene of an Islamist bloodbath last night, were almost completely empty.
Residents of the district responded to the authorities' call to lock themselves in their homes, fearing that the terrorist who was neutralized by police at the end of nine long minutes of a shooting attack rolling between restaurants and crowded places of entertainment did not act alone.
Last night, a lull was issued by Interior Minister Carl Nahmer: The 20-year-old terrorist, Koitim Paisoulay, who carried out the attack in which four civilians were killed - two women and two men - acted alone.
A raid shortly after he was neutralized on the apartment where he lived in a large apartment building on the outskirts of Vienna, revealed that before he left to carry out the attack, the terrorist swore allegiance to the new leader of ISIS, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashmi Al-Qurayishi.
As stated, according to the information accumulated by the Austrian security authorities, the terrorist - a native of Vienna, of Albanian-Macedonian descent - acted on his own.
However, last night ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was carried out by a "soldier of the caliphate" - the Islamic State.
The weapon with which he carried out the attack was purchased by the perpetrator in Slovakia, Austria's neighbor.