Page 239 - ISRAEL'S CRADLE

immediately shut down Schönau," the transit camp of the Jewish Agency in which the Jews resided on their way to Israel, "not only will all the hostages be murdered, but all of Austria shall become a target for retaliatory strikes." The Austrian Government, under the leadership of Jewish Chancellor Bruno Kreisky, convened to discuss the ultimatum and decided to give in to the terrorists' demands. Kreisky officially announced that the Schönau Transit Camp would shut down. Moreover: The Austrian authorities immediately afterwards led the terrorists to the airport and released them to take off to Libya. The Arab World was delighted and the Jewish World was greatly worried.
Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel, decided to fly to Austria, meet with Kreisky and try to explain to him that he must not surrender to terrorism. The meeting between the two was one of the most tumultuous meetings between two heads of state. Kreisky declared at the start of the conversation that he did not understand why it is Austria that must bear the burden of immigration from the Soviet Union. Golda replied that there are no direct flights from the Soviet Union to Israel, and that Austria is the only Western nation to which Jews can go to by train. Kreisky continued and said:
"If so, then we shall dismantle the transit camp in Schönau and your people from the Jewish Agency will pick them up immediately upon arrival at Vienna and fly them to Israel." Golda explained that his proposal is not practical, since they never know how many Jews will arrive by train and that anyone who goes free after years in the Russian hell needs days to organize. She continued and told him: "Herr Chancellor, it is your humanitarian duty not to cave in to Arab blackmail. What you did will undoubtedly encourage further abductions of hostages. You betrayed the Jewish immigrants. You opened the door to terrorism."
Kreisky was not convinced and would not change his decision. He replied to Golda that: "Austria is a small country, and small countries, unlike the superpowers, do not have many options in contending with the blackmail of terrorists." He later told her: "You and I belong to two different worlds." Golda glared at him and replied to him disparagingly: "Indeed. You and I belong to two very, very different worlds." She got up, took her handbag and went to the door. Whilst doing so, one of Kreisky's assistants entered and said that many journalists are waiting in the nearby room for the joint press conference. Golda replied that she will not hold the press conference with the Chancellor and told her assistants: "I have no respect to share a stage with that man. He can say whatever he wants to the journalists. I am going to the airport and returning home."
Golda returned to Israel and several days after her return was forced to contend with a far worse crisis: The outbreak of the Yom Kippur War. And as for the transit camp in Schönau: it eventually shut down, however the media in Israel and the world would not let go of the "Kreisky Crisis" and the Austrian authorities had no choice but to offer alternative arrangements for the temporary absorption of Jews in their country. The exodus of the Jews – small though it was – continued during Kreisky's days, and intensified in the later periods.
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