Vienna – The parliament is maintaining its support for former ORF journalist Renata Schmidtkunz as the moderator for a Holocaust Memorial Day event. The initiative “Solidarity Israel,” which includes former National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka (ÖVP), had called for her removal, citing alleged one-sided Middle East reporting by the journalist.

The event is scheduled for January 27 in the parliament building, with the leaders of the National Council and Federal Council invited. The keynote speech will be delivered by Elie Rosen, president of the Jewish Community of Graz. Schmidtkunz, who recently retired from ORF, was appointed as moderator and has previously moderated several parliamentary events, including a celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem in Israel.

The initiative, which also includes former president of the Israelite Cultural Community of Vienna Ariel Muzicant, expressed in a letter to parliament its dismay that the “Palestine activist” would moderate the event. They argued that Schmidtkunz repeatedly promotes narratives in her journalistic work and on social media that are “highly problematic and prone to escalation.”

“Solidarity Israel” considers her involvement incompatible with the parliament’s aim to honor the Holocaust in a manner that excludes any form of relativization, overshadowing, or contemporary instrumentalization. They demanded the appointment of a person without any recognizable links to relativization, victim-perpetrator reversal, or delegitimizing contemporary analogies in the Israel context, ensuring the special protection of this memorial format.

The parliament confirmed receipt of the protest note and its demands. After consultation with National Council President Walter Rosenkranz (FPÖ), Second President Peter Haubner (ÖVP), Third President Doris Bures (SPÖ), and designated Federal Council President Markus Stotter (ÖVP), it was agreed to retain Schmidtkunz as moderator. She was described as an established and highly awarded journalist.

Furthermore, the parliament emphasized that Holocaust Memorial Day is not an ordinary discussion format but a state-political act of remembrance, dignity, victim-centeredness, and strict restraint against any form of political instrumentalization. It stated that a dignified conduct of the ceremony will be ensured.

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