In an interview with "Krone"
Ambassador to Israel: “We’re holding our ground!”
Numerous rocket strikes can be heard and felt by Austrian diplomats in Tel Aviv, but withdrawal from Israel is not an option. Ambassador Nikolaus Lutterotti talks between the bunker and his workplace.
Sirens, impacts. Empty streets. And in the middle of it all: Nikolaus Lutterotti, Austria's ambassador to Israel. He has been stationed here for around four years. He knows the country, the mentality, the security situation. But even for an experienced diplomat, these days are a state of emergency.
"There were alarms almost every hour," he describes in an interview with the "Krone" – especially last weekend, when people spent a lot of time in bunkers. Lutterotti has his own air-raid shelter in his house. Precaution is not a luxury here, but a necessity. The impacts are audible. But – fortunately – far enough away.
In continuous operation for the red-white-red community
The city seems frozen, with hardly any traffic and almost all shops closed. People take the safety instructions very seriously. When they hear a siren, they don't hesitate – they take cover. This is routine in a country that is familiar with such situations.
The embassy is also in crisis mode. "The team is working from home, and operational readiness has been increased. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week," emphasizes Lutterotti. Experts from home provide additional security: the Jagdkommando (special forces) is providing support. Discreet, but crucial.
It's non-stop for the red-white-red community: and it's a big one! 9,430 Austrians live in Israel. 120 have registered as travelers. 75 are willing to leave. The embassy is in constant contact with them.
Airspace remains closed, diplomats improvise
Israeli airspace is closed. Direct departure by plane is currently not possible. But there are ways: via Egypt or Jordan. Six Austrians have now begun their journey home from there with Slovakian support. Improvisation is now part of everyday life for diplomats.
No one on the ground expects the situation to ease quickly. They are preparing for this war situation to last longer. Nevertheless, Lutterotti and his team are sending a clear message: "We are holding our ground!"
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
Liebe Leserin, lieber Leser,
die Kommentarfunktion steht Ihnen ab 6 Uhr wieder wie gewohnt zur Verfügung.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
das krone.at-Team
User-Beiträge geben nicht notwendigerweise die Meinung des Betreibers/der Redaktion bzw. von Krone Multimedia (KMM) wieder. In diesem Sinne distanziert sich die Redaktion/der Betreiber von den Inhalten in diesem Diskussionsforum. KMM behält sich insbesondere vor, gegen geltendes Recht verstoßende, den guten Sitten oder der Netiquette widersprechende bzw. dem Ansehen von KMM zuwiderlaufende Beiträge zu löschen, diesbezüglichen Schadenersatz gegenüber dem betreffenden User geltend zu machen, die Nutzer-Daten zu Zwecken der Rechtsverfolgung zu verwenden und strafrechtlich relevante Beiträge zur Anzeige zu bringen (siehe auch AGB). Hier können Sie das Community-Team via unserer Melde- und Abhilfestelle kontaktieren.