Israeli Family Reportedly Denied Service at Austrian Food Stall Over Jewish Identity
An Israeli family in Austria was reportedly denied service at a food stall due to their Jewish identity, prompting an administrative probe and concern from Israel's embassy.
An Israeli family vacationing in Bad Hofgastein in Austria's Salzburg district reported that a food vendor refused to serve them because they are Jewish, a claim strongly denied by the business owner. Following the complaint, local authorities announced the opening of an administrative penal proceeding, while the Israeli embassy in Vienna expressed deep concern over the incident.
Incident Details and Reactions
The family, identified by the initial H., stated that the vendor explicitly refused to sell them food due to their Jewish identity and mentioned the situation in Gaza. H. told the Austrian newspaper Krone Zeitung that the vendor removed burgers from the grill and discarded them upon learning the family was from Israel. The local district authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft) confirmed that an investigation has been launched, though this does not constitute a formal finding of guilt.
"This was shocking for us. We never experienced such hatred and racism," the family stated, while the vendor dismissed the allegations as complete nonsense.
Official Responses and Diplomatic Contacts
Eli Rosen, president of the Jewish community of Salzburg, Styria, and Carinthia, demanded a swift clarification of the facts and warned against allowing generalized criticism of Israel to foster antisemitism. The Israeli embassy in Vienna emphasized that discrimination against Israelis and Jews is entirely unacceptable and called for practical measures to address such occurrences.
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar spoke with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger in an effort to calm diplomatic tensions. During the conversation, Sa'ar addressed bilateral ties, Austria's upcoming tenure on the UN Security Council, and recent regional security developments, balancing ongoing diplomatic cooperation with firm condemnation of antisemitic incidents abroad.
