The Austrian Chapter of the Transatlantic Friends of Israel, chaired by Austrian Member of Parliament (MP) Martin Engelberg, visited Washington, DC for a five-day study trip from 26 to 30 November, 2023. The trip was organized jointly with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and included eleven Austrian Parliamentarians in total. 

In addition to current foreign policy issues, particularly the situation in Israel, the focus of the study trip was on the fight against antisemitism and strengthening the transatlantic partnership. The group held meetings on a variety of topics from ranging from U.S. domestic politics, the future of the Abraham Accords, Jewish life in America, and the global fight against antisemitism.

The group participated in a roundtable discussion with U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill and met with a Holocaust survivor at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Another highlight of the trip was a meeting with Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism and Dan Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The group was also able to attend a ceremony at the Austrian Residence, in which descendants of Holocaust survivors were presented their Austrian citizenship decrees by the Parliamentarians.

© ÖB Washington / Elisabeth Michalek