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According to Ynet, an Israeli government minister has held meetings with senior officials from Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ), a party with Nazi historical roots, marking the first such engagement at this level despite Israel’s official policy of shunning the party.

The meetings represent a significant diplomatic shift, coming after the party’s leadership recently apologised to the Jewish people for the party’s historical Nazi connections. The minister, Smotrich, has claimed to have cultivated ongoing diplomatic channels with the FPÖ.

Smotrich described the visit as the culmination of a deliberate political process, stating he has “worked on this for two years.” He argued that the FPÖ has undergone transformation as a result of his efforts.

Officially, Israel maintains a policy of isolating the FPÖ due to its historical associations, making these engagement efforts controversial and representing a departure from stated Israeli diplomatic policy toward the party.

Sources: Ynet, Walla, www.israelhayom.co.il, Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post