Jerusalem-The Simon Wiesenthal Center today welcomed the dismissal of Stephan Tauschitz from his post as director of the AustrianCarinthian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Combatting Terrorism in the wake of revelations that he had attended meetings of neo-Nazi and right-wing extremists severaltimes and had addressed such a gathering.
The Wiesenthal Center was among the first organizations to call for Tauschitz's removal from his post, or as the Center's chiefNazi-hunter, Holocaust historian Dr. Efraim Zuroff told Der Standard journalist Maria Sterkl, “It’s really scandalous, Tauschitz should be removed from his position immediately.” a responsereflected in the prestigious Austrian daily’s headline “Schock in Israel, offene Fragen in Åsterreich,” [Shock in Israel, Open Questions inAustria.”].
According to Zuroff:
“While Austria has made significant progress during the past few years in confronting its responsibility for Nazi crimes, thisappointment is a step backwards. It also raises serious doubts about Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, who had made problematic statements in the past, but had repudiated them upon hisappointment to the current government.”
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The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000member families in the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament(Parlatino).