Austria must expel Israeli envoy over call to execute Gaza children

Democracy and genocide cannot coexist. One must give way to the other.  

Once upon a time, when a diplomat openly called for genocide, demanded the death penalty for children, and even acknowledged that such demands violated UN conventions, he would have been expelled without hesitation.

But in Austria, a country that hosts UN agencies - institutions supposedly dedicated to the principles of human rights and international law - the abnormal has become the norm. 

In a secretly filmed video leaked this week, Israel’s ambassador to Austria, David Roet, calmly advocates for genocide, for the deaths of children, and for the utter destruction of Gaza. His words are chilling, but not unexpected. He is not a rogue voice; he speaks with the full weight of a government that has been allowed to perpetuate violence with impunity.

Roet speaks of Gaza as though it were no more than a distant nuisance; an inconvenience to be swept aside. But his words - spoken without shame or fear - are damning. 

He declares that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, and that all who bear arms should be executed, even children. This is a direct violation of international law, denying the humanity of more than two million people, including a million children.

This is not just an Israeli issue. It is an international one. This is Austria’s issue, because Austria gives Roet a platform. It has neither condemned his words nor expelled him. It has said and done nothing. 

Dehumanising Palestinians 

This is where the failure begins. This is no longer just an issue of diplomacy, but one of life and death, of humanity versus indifference. When the world is faced with a call for genocide, will it act? Or will it remain silent, as usual, and watch this evil spread like a cancer?

The video begins as a casual conversation among diplomats. A former Austrian consul, Gunter Wiehl-Volgger, jokes about playing golf in Gaza “whether you like it or not”. This is no innocent remark; it is the voice of someone who sees Gaza as a playground - a place to be occupied, controlled and ultimately destroyed.

But Roet’s words cut to the bone. With chilling certainty, he declares: “I proudly represent the state of Israel,” before going on to say: “If you believe that there are no uninvolved [people] in Gaza … that Israel is targeting babies intentionally, which is not correct.”

This is not just a political statement; it is tantamount to a war crime. By suggesting that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, Roet is dehumanising an entire population, paving the way for their annihilation. 

Under international law, civilians must be protected at all costs. Roet’s words, which have the full support of the Israeli government, run counter to international humanitarian law.

The ugliness doesn’t end there. Roet continues: “There should be a death sentence to be killed off in war if you’re holding a gun, even if you are a 16-year-old.”

This is not a rhetorical flourish. It is a direct call for the extrajudicial killing of children - a clear violation of the most basic human rights. A child, in any war, must be protected. The world has known this for centuries, yet Roet openly advocates for their killing.

His contempt for international law is explicit: the “UN - whatever it is called - charter” is irrelevant. The death penalty for children is his solution. He is neither ashamed nor afraid. And Austria, a host country for the UN, sits in silence.

Promise of destruction

The video goes deeper still, and Roet’s disdain for international efforts to rebuild Gaza is palpable. He mocks the idea of European aid to Gaza: “Will Europe be crazy enough to invest money again in Gaza? So we will have to destroy it the next time.”

This statement is not merely a snub to European generosity. It is a declaration of intent: Israel will not allow Gaza to rebuild. It will not allow Palestinians to survive, nor allow them to live with any dignity. Gaza will be destroyed again.

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Austria has the power to expel Roet and stand against this genocidal rhetoric - yet it does nothing, thus betraying the very principles it is supposed to uphold. By failing to sanction Roet, Austria becomes complicit in the destruction of Gaza and the eradication of Palestinian life.

Austria’s failure to act is not merely a national disgrace; it is also a direct affront to the UN. As a host country, Austria is bound by the UN Charter and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to ensure that diplomats adhere to the standards set forth by the international community, and refrain from any activities that endanger peace and security.

Roet’s statements - advocating mass executions and mocking international law - breach the very principles meant to protect the dignity and rights of every human being.

These include the European Convention on Human Rights, which enshrines the fundamental rights of all individuals, regardless of who they are or where they come from; Protocol No 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which calls to abolish the death penalty; and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a promise that every child deserves safety and care.

High stakes

Roet’s statements are not merely errors; they are a denial of the basic, inalienable rights that bind us all.

And still, the Austrian government has taken no action. Roet boasts in the video of how close he is with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker: “I have the WhatsApp of the chancellor, which means we are the only embassy, the only diplomats, who have met Mr Stocker.”  

The world must choose now: will it stand against genocide, or will it stand with those who normalise it?

The silence from Austria is deafening, but the silence from the UN is even more telling. If Austria refuses to expel Roet, then the UN must move its operations out of Vienna. 

Institutions that claim to uphold international law and human rights cannot continue to operate in a country that tolerates genocide. Such inaction would make the UN complicit in the very crimes it was created to prevent.

If Austria does not act, this is not just Austria’s failure. It is the world’s failure. Any nation that continues to operate within Vienna’s UN framework, without confronting Austria’s complicity in genocide, becomes an accomplice in this evil. 

History will judge us all. Austria’s failure to expel Roet will not be forgotten. The world must choose now: will it stand against genocide, or will it stand with those who normalise it? The choice is ours. The stakes are too high to remain silent.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.