Austria's chancellor angers Israel

Under fire: Schuessel is accused of denying responsibility

Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel has angered Israelis and domestic critics after saying that Austria was the first victim of the Nazis.

The English-language Jerusalem Post quotes Mr Schuessel as saying: "The sovereign state of Austria was literally the first victim of the Nazi regime... They took Austria by force."

The comments point to a dangerous new trend which seeks to absolve Austria for all responsibility for its Nazi past

Nazi-hunter Ephraim Zuroff

The newspaper said Mr Schuessel did admit that his country had a "moral responsibility" for the past.

The chancellor's office said that his assertion of moral responsibility was a "decisive" part of his comment, Austrian radio reported.

'Willing ally'

Jewish groups have long rejected the assertion that Austria was a "victim" of the Nazis, saying that Austrians welcomed the Anschluss that unified Austria with Hitler's Germany in 1938.

In 1993, then-Chancellor Franz Vranitzky said that Austria had been a willing ally of the Nazi regime.

Vranizky admitted responsibility

About 65,000 Austrian Jews died in the Holocaust.

Nazi-hunter Ephraim Zuroff of the Simon Wiesenthan Centre in Jerusalem said the comment was "simply absurd."

He said the comments pointed to "a dangerous new trend which seeks to absolve Austria for all responsibility for its Nazi past."

Austria's opposition Greens called Mr Schuessel's comment "a historical lie", Austrian radio reported on Thursday.

The opposition Social Democrats also criticised the remark, comparing the Chancellor to right-wing politician Joerg Haider.

Mr Schuessel's People's Party is in coalition government with Mr Haider's Freedom Party.