![Israel must continue to be able to deter Hezbollah, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stressed on Wednesday, speaking amid efforts to reach a ceasefire with Iran's Lebanese terrorist proxy. "We need to keep the freedom to act if there will be violations. And we will have to act in time, before the problem will grow," the minister told a gathering of nearly 100 foreign ambassadors in Jerusalem, the Times of Israel reported. A deal to end more than a year of fighting on the northern border must be durable, Sa'ar said, saying Jerusalem “would like to reach an agreement that will stand the test of time." He added that a ceasefire would be an "opportunity" for Lebanon to regain its sovereignty after the Israeli military severely degraded the Iranian-backed group in recent months. He called for the Lebanese Armed Forces to be strengthened and urged the international community to invest more in the economically devastated country, which is drowning in debt following years of mismanagement and corruption. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also emphasized on Wednesday the necessity for Jerusalem to be able to act against any Hezbollah threats that may arise after a ceasefire deal is implemented. “The condition for any political settlement in Lebanon is the preservation of the intelligence capability and the preservation of the [IDF’s] right to act and protect the citizens of Israel from Hezbollah,” Katz said. Meanwhile, U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein remained in Beirut for a second day on Wednesday to discuss "technical details" of an American ceasefire proposal with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement. President Joe Biden's point man in the Land of the Cedars announced he would travel to Israel on Wednesday night, speaking after he made "additional progress" in a second meeting with Berri. Hochstein was scheduled to meet with Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer shortly after his arrival, followed by a tête-à-tête with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the following day. “The meeting today built on the meeting yesterday, and made additional progress,” Hochstein said. “So I will travel from here in a couple hours to Israel to try to bring this to a close if we can.” The Biden envoy added that he will work with the incoming Trump administration on ceasefire efforts, saying that he has kept the president-elect's transition team informed of progress. Hochstein described as "very productive" his meetings with Lebanese officials on Tuesday. “We have a real opportunity to end the conflict, and now is the moment to decide. We are committed to doing everything we can to work with Lebanon and Israel to end this conflict,” Hochstein said at a press conference on Tuesday. Hochstein also met on Tuesday with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and he was scheduled to meet with Lebanese Armed Forces commander Gen. Joseph Aoun. Mikati emphasized that Lebanon’s primary objectives are achieving a ceasefire and safeguarding its sovereignty. He highlighted the need to implement international resolutions and bolster the Lebanese Armed Forces in the southern part of the country. Lebanon delivered its written response to the latest U.S. proposal on Monday. According to Ali Hassan Khalil, an aide to Berri, the response included “comments” that were “presented in a positive atmosphere.” He did not provide details on the nature of the comments, saying only that they “affirm the precise adherence to [U.N. Security Council] Resolution 1701 with all its provisions,” according to Reuters. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a speech on Wednesday that the terrorist group had "read the ceasefire proposal. "We have our comments, and Nabih Berri has comments, and ours and the Lebanese government's comments are, Inshallah ['God willing'], identical," Qassem said. "We have decided not to discuss these ceasefire proposals or our comments in the media. All I will say is that Israeli is trying to obtain through negotiations what it couldn't through war." The terrorist leader vowed to “continue our efforts on the ground, whether the negotiations succeed or not. “We are confronting a savage enemy, and we will remain on the ground, no matter the cost, as we will also increase the cost for the enemy. We are facing Israeli human monsters supported by American human monsters,” threatened Qassem. Disarm and retreat Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War, stipulated that Hezbollah must disarm and retreat north of the Litani River, but was never enforced. The Litani lies some 20 miles from the Israel-Lebanon border. Its enforcement, along with Israeli freedom of operation in Lebanon should Hezbollah violate the terms of a ceasefire agreement, are the key sticking points in the current negotiations. Netanyahu emphasized during a speech in the Knesset plenum on Monday that Israel will not allow Hezbollah to “return to the state it was in on Oct. 6, 2023. “We will be required, in order to ensure our security in the north, to systematically carry out operations—not only against Hezbollah’s attacks, which could come. Even if there is a ceasefire, nobody can guarantee it will hold. So it’s not only our reaction, a preventive reaction, a reaction in the wake of attack but also the capacity to prevent Hezbollah from strengthening,” he said. Hezbollah has launched some 16,000 rockets, missiles and drones from Lebanon at Israel since joining the war in support of Hamas on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Gaza-based terrorist group’s massacre in southern Israel. More than 60,000 residents of northern Israel remain internally displaced due to the ongoing rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon. Seventy-six people in northern Israel have been killed by Hezbollah cross-border rocket, missile and drone attacks since the start of the war, including 31 soldiers and six foreign citizens, according to the latest data provided by the Prime Minister’s Office, updated on Sunday. In addition, 729 people have been wounded, including 497 civilians and 232 soldiers. Of these, 29 civilians and 37 soldiers were severely injured; 63 civilians and 38 soldiers were moderately injured and 405 civilians and 157 soldiers were lightly injured. Hezbollah’s leadership has been left in tatters following a series of targeted killings by Israel, including that of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on Sept. 27. This was preceded by Israeli sabotage of Hezbollah communication devices that killed 39 people and wounded more than 3,400 members of the terrorist group. Israel has been waging a devastating aerial campaign against Hezbollah throughout Lebanon, including its stronghold of Dahieh south of Beirut. According to Israeli estimates, the terrorist group has lost most of its arsenal to the ongoing strikes. Then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in late October that Hezbollah had lost an estimated 80%-plus of its long-range rockets since the start of the war. Israel also continues to battle Hamas terrorists in Gaza. The terrorist group still holds 101 hostages in the Strip, 97 of whom were kidnapped on Oct. 7. Many of the captives are believed to be dead. Brazil summit Meanwhile, G20 leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro for a summit put out a joint statement on Monday calling for “comprehensive” ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon. The leaders of the world’s biggest economies called for U.S. proposals to end fighting in Gaza and free the hostages, and one for Lebanon “that enables citizens to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line.” The 13-point U.S. proposal presented to Lebanese officials on Nov. 14 includes a 60-day truce, during which Lebanon would redeploy its troops along the border. The proposal also calls for Moscow to prevent Hezbollah from resupplying itself via Syrian land routes. Hezbollah would retreat north of the Litani River, with the border area then being under control of the Lebanese Armed Forces, overseen by the United States and Britain. Israeli officials are emphasizing, however, that the Israel Defense Forces must retain freedom of operation in Lebanon to thwart attempts by Hezbollah to violate the agreement and rearm and reestablish itself. A senior Israeli diplomatic official told Israel Hayom on Saturday that the IDF will retain operational freedom to respond to any security threats from across the northern border, regardless of any diplomatic arrangements. However, a source close to Hezbollah told The Washington Post that the group’s “condition for progress remains clear: Israel must be prohibited from conducting operations within Lebanese territory.” Berri emphasized at the time that any ceasefire agreement must not include the ability for Israel to attack by land, sea or air, Channel 12 reported. “Otherwise, what’s the purpose of an agreement?” he remarked. Another sticking point is Lebanon’s objection to the United Kingdom and Germany monitoring the implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701. Beirut reportedly favors the United States and France. If the ceasefire efforts fail, there are plans in the works to expand ground operations in Lebanon, an Israeli military official told the Post. Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer discussed the proposal with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during a visit to his Florida estate earlier this month, as well as with senior Biden administration officials in Washington. Dermer also traveled to Russia to discuss the ceasefire proposal. Tehran is telling its Lebanese terrorist proxy Hezbollah that it supports ending the war against Israel, The New York Times reported over the weekend. Ali Larijani, senior adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, met with senior Lebanese officials in Beirut on Nov. 15 to discuss the matter. Two Iranians affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps told the Times that Larijani conveyed messages to Hezbollah from Khamenei that he supported the end of the war and that the regime would assist with rebuilding the terrorist group’s forces and recovering from the war.](https://jewishwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Gideon-Saar-1320x880-2-218x150.jpg "Sa’ar: Israel must be free to act against Hezbollah truce violations")
At some point during the video conference call, Scott Morse of Ashburn, Va., whipped out a faux Austrian-European Union license plate that read: DUAL CTZN. He bought the novelty item off eBay, proud that he and his extended family were able to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs: Austrian citizenship.
“That whole history of our family was ripped apart and taken, and now this is a way for Austria to say ‘I’m sorry,’ and this was our way, maybe, not to forgive but to carry on,” said Scott, 48, in the video call with his brother Craig Morse, 51, and cousin Robert Schwarz, 64.
In September 2019, the Austrian parliament amended the Austrian Citizenship Act to enable descendants of victims of Nazi oppression to acquire Austrian citizenship. It went into effect on Sept. 1, though the Morse brothers had looked into the process of Austrian citizenship long before then.
About a year-and-half ago, they started the Facebook group, “Austrian Citizenship Holocaust Descendants.” Since last month, membership spiked to about 400 members, drawing 12 to 15 new members a day from all over the globe, including the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom and South America.
Contrast the experience to that of their cousin, Robert. He applied for Austrian citizenship three years ago—a process that took almost four years due to the grueling means of tracking down documentation. But for the Morses, it took just a few weeks with COVID-19 limitations providing the only bureaucratic hurdles. They are now waiting for notification of approval.
When Schwarz had applied, he could claim citizenship only through his father, a survivor of four concentration camps; the new law allows potential citizens to claim citizenship by both patrilineal and matrilineal descent, and also to skip a generation rather than prove a genealogical chain. The Morses claimed citizenship directly through their grandparents.
Craig described the Austrian embassy in Washington, D.C., where he was the first claimant, as “nothing but helpful.”
“You’re not applying for citizenship; you’re declaring citizenship. And you show proof,” he said.
Similarly, in Israel, the Austrian embassy has increased staff to handle the demand and fast-track the process.
“We are proud to note that the procedure granting citizenship has never before been so easy and ‘user-friendly,’ ” said Austria’s Ambassador to Israel Hanna Liko in an e-mail interview with JNS. Claimants simply fill out an online questionnaire. Austrian authorities help them track down the documents if they don’t have them, barring the need for immigration lawyers, who can charge up to 6,000 euro (about $7,000) for an application. This arguably makes it one of the most accessible European citizenships for Holocaust descendants, which often require third-party assistance or long processing times for the claimants.
“As of late September, 1,900 people filled in the questionnaire via the Austrian embassy’s Israeli website, and approximately 70 people submitted the documents and declarations,” said Liko. “I am pleased that so many are interested; it’s not obvious given the suffering of their ancestors in Austria due to Nazi persecution.”
‘Repair relationships and face the past’
Samuel Laster, editor of Austria’s online Jewish newspaper, Atar HaYehudi (Die Juedische) and a Jewish community organizer, thinks the move represents a turning point for Austria-Jewish relations.
“It’s an important sign from the Austrian perspective,” he said. “It was created at a time when there was a lot of criticism in Austria for having a coalition with Strache’s party.” Heinz-Christian Strache had been the leader of the controversial right-wing Freedom Party before he was forced to resign following a corruption scandal.
The amendment, according to Laster, was made, in part, to remove any doubts about anti-Semitism in the Austrian government.
“[Chancellor] Sebastian Kurz is one of the most pro-Israel leaders that Europe has ever seen,” he said.
The Morse family proudly watched the vote being passed in the Austrian parliament.
“We streamed it, and what was impressive—and what meant a lot to people—was that the vote was unanimous,” said Craig. “There was no dissent in Parliament. I think part of that is the current chancellor wanted to repair relationships and to face the past.”
Laster believes that Austrian federal states are looking forward to having newly minted citizens enrich Jewish life in Austria, even to the extent of providing career and educational guidance to new Jewish residents.
“It’s a historic opportunity for Jews outside of Austria to join the community that now stands at 8,000 to 10,000,” she said. “Vienna is the largest, but you have communities in Innsbruck, Graz, Linz and Salzburg that can’t always get a minyan [prayer quorum] on holidays.”
Liko says the move represents a high point in Israel-Austrian relations specifically.
“The relations between Israel and Austria have never been better—perhaps that’s also some kind of motivation for the one or the other Israeli to acquire Austrian citizenship,” she said. “And, of course, I hope that one side effect will be even more people-to-people contacts (after the COVID-19 crisis) between Israel and Austria, which is an important foundation for friendly relations between countries.”
The Morse clan is gearing up for people-to-people contact on the American side. They’re planning a major family trip to Austria with cousins from across the generations when feasible.
Said Scott: “We’re going to meet in Austria at the same time, and go to customs and clear the E.U. at the same time, and hand them 20 Austrian passports.”