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(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)

Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid met today (Wednesday, March 30, 2022) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, with Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg. FM Lapid opened their joint press conference with a few words in Hebrew:

“Our best weapon against terrorism is the unity of the State of Israel and its citizens. What the terrorists are trying to destroy is the power of a strong and proud, law-abiding country, where the security forces get full backing and the necessary calm that enables them to act against terrorism.

“The purpose of terrorism is not only to murder innocents but also to make us hate and be angry with each other. To undermine and dismantle Israeli society from within. To initiate an exchange of accusations that will lead to violence. The terrorists want to see violent riots on Israel’s streets.”

Speaking directly to FM Schallenberg, FM Lapid added: 

“This meeting with you, like the meeting in the Negev earlier this week with the US Secretary of State and the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, the Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain, is the best answer to terrorism. Peace and friendship are the alternatives to terror and chaos.

“We choose peace from a position of power. It is a choice of the strong. The last time we met, it was at the Mauthausen concentration camp. I was talking about my grandfather, who perished in the camp, and you cried and hugged me.

"The existence of the State of Israel, strong and confident, is the guarantee that there will no longer be a Mauthausen. A guarantee that terrorism will not win. Your commitment to friendship between us strengthens us in difficult times."