ABSTRACT
The role of Jewish intellectuals in the labour movements of central and eastern Europe is a well-attested fact. A revealing symptom of how much conditions had changed was the fact that Bruno Kreisky was elected to the chairmanship of the socialist party in 1967 thanks to support from the provinces. Kreisky’s soft line on ex-Nazis was immensely popular in an Austria intent on forgetting the past. Such amnesia was also electorally profitable with large numbers of the older generation. As a socialist, Kreisky was undoubtedly aware of the many great pioneering achievements carried out in Israel and the decisive role of the labour movement in the creation and consolidation of the Jewish state. Kreisky was depicted as striking a blow against ‘Zionist’ political pressures, intimidation, and efforts to discredit the Palestinian cause. Bruno Kreisky’s outbursts against Israel and the ‘warped’ mentality of the Ostjuden may best be seen as a footnote to the central European tradition.
