Democracy and genocide are not compatible.
Esad Širbegović is a writer and analyst based in Zurich, Switzerland. He is also a member of the International Expert Team at the Institute for Research of Genocide Canada. In 2022, he served as the Director of the International Expert Team for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, focusing on the Srebrenica genocide denial case at the University of Vienna. Esad’s work is deeply rooted in his personal experiences and centres on the critical issues of Islamophobia and genocide.
There was a time when a diplomat who openly called for genocide—who demanded the execution of children and even admitted that such demands violated UN conventions—would have been expelled without question. That was the standard. That was the bare minimum for diplomatic integrity, especially in a country that hosts multiple UN agencies, institutions purportedly committed to human rights and international law.
Diplomats have been expelled for far less than inciting genocide—for instance, the Netherlands denied Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s plane permission to land and deported Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya merely for attempting to speak at public gatherings. The Dutch government considered this an infringement on their sovereignty. Russia asserts that the total number of its diplomats expelled from NATO member states has exceeded one thousand since 2022.
But in Austria, the abnormal has become normal. The obscene has been made routine. The unthinkable is now policy. And so, where a government should have acted, the people must. A civic group—Palestine Solidarity Austria Alliance—has taken up the task, launching a petition to demand what should never have required demand in the first place.
The unspeakable has entered our political bloodstream, becoming the very air we breathe. And in Austria—where the UN agencies sit, where global diplomacy supposedly upholds principles of human rights and international law—the abnormal is all too ordinary.
And so, when a diplomat stands before the world and calls for genocide, calls for the mass execution of children, and Austria does nothing, the world has no choice but to answer: Will we act, or will we be complicit in this horror?
The Abnormal Becoming Normal
Michel Foucault understood, better than most, that the concept of “normal” is never really about reason. It’s about power. A society sets its norms, and those norms, once established, bend reason to serve them. And once they do, anything becomes possible. Even the unthinkable. Fyodor Dostoevsky warned us of this, telling us that human beings can grow accustomed to horror. They can learn to live with atrocity as if it were the weather—an inevitable force of nature. And here we are, living in that very moment.
In a secret video, we see Israel’s ambassador to Austria, David Roet, calmly advocate for genocide, for the deaths of children, 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 is speaking of Gaza as though it were no more than a distant nuisance—an inconvenience to be swept aside. But his words—spoken without shame, without fear—are damning. He declares that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, that all who bear arms should be executed, even the children. This is a direct violation of international law, a denial of the humanity of over two million people, including over a million children.
But this is not just an Israeli issue. This is an international issue. This is Austria’s issue, because Austria harbors Roet, it allows him to operate, it gives him a platform. It has not condemned his words. It has not expelled him. It has said nothing. It has done nothing.
And this, my friends, is where the failure begins. Because this is no longer just an issue of diplomacy; this is an issue of life and death. It is an issue of humanity versus indifference. The question is: when the world is faced with a call for genocide, will it act? Or will it remain silent, as it always does, and watch this evil spread like a cancer?
A Diplomat Advocating Genocide
The video begins innocently enough, a casual conversation among diplomats. An Austrian official, the former Austrian Honorary Consul to the USA Günter 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 it is Roet’s words that cut to the bone. With chilling certainty, he declares:
“I proudly represent the State of Israel. There are no uninvolved civilians in Gaza.”
This is not just a political statement; it is a war crime. By declaring that there are no civilians in Gaza, Roet is dehumanizing an entire population, paving the way for their annihilation. Under international law, civilians must be protected at all costs. Roet’s words—words that have the full support of the Israeli government—place Israel in direct violation of international humanitarian law.
But the ugliness doesn’t end there. Roet continues:
“There should be the death penalty for everyone in Gaza who holds a weapon during wartime, even if you are 16 years old.”
This is not a rhetorical flourish. This 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 here is Roet, openly advocating for the murder of children, knowing full well that such words would fall on deaf ears.
The diplomat’s contempt for international law is explicit: “UN—or whatever you call it—charter protections” are irrelevant. The death penalty for the innocent is his solution. He is not ashamed. He is not afraid. And Austria, the host country for the UN, sits in silence.
Deliberate Destruction of Gaza and European Complicity
But 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:
“If Europe is crazy enough to invest money in Gaza, then we will have to destroy it again 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, will not allow Palestinians to survive, will not allow them to live with any dignity. They will destroy it again. And this, too, is Austria’s problem.
Austria has the power to expel Roet, to stand against this genocidal rhetoric. And yet, it does nothing. Austria’s failure is a betrayal of the very principles it is supposed to uphold. By allowing Roet to remain, Austria becomes complicit in the destruction of Gaza and the eradication of Palestinian life.
Vienna as a UN Host Country: Austria’s Legal and Moral Contradiction
Austria hosts multiple UN agencies, agencies that are supposed to embody the principles of human rights and international law. Vienna serves as a key hub for global diplomacy, playing a central role in international affairs.
The United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) provides administrative support to several entities, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which focuses on drug control and criminal justice, and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), promoting space cooperation. Additionally, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) operates independently but receives support from UNOV. Vienna also hosts the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an independent organization promoting nuclear energy’s peaceful use, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), focusing on industrial development. Furthermore,the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) plays a crucial role in enforcing the nuclear test ban, operating a sophisticated global monitoring system to detect any violations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Liaison Office coordinates international efforts to protect refugees and provide humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) develops legal frameworks to standardize and facilitate global commerce. Here is the complete list of UN agencies in Vienna.
Talk about truly living up to its name – official Vienna is bound by the Vienna Convention
Austria’s failure to act is not merely a national disgrace; it is a direct affront to the United Nations.
As the host country, Austria is bound by the United Nations Charter to protect these principles, to ensure that diplomats adhere to the standards set forth by the international community. Furthermore, under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Austria is legally obligated to ensure that diplomats comply with its laws and refrain from activities that endanger peace and security.
Roet’s statements—advocating mass executions and mocking international law—are clear violations of both Austrian and international legal principles.
His words stand as a direct violation of the very principles that are meant to protect the dignity and rights of every human being. They breach:
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Protocol No. 6 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which calls for the abolition of the death penalty (ETS No. 114)
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The Convention on the Rights of the Child, a promise that every child deserves safety and care
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The European Convention on Human Rights, which enshrines the fundamental rights of all individuals, regardless of who they are or where they come from
Such statements are not merely errors; they are a denial of the basic, inalienable rights that bind us all.
Yet, the Austrian government has taken no action. It has not condemned Roet’s remarks. It has not signaled any intention to expel him. Instead, Roet boasts in the video how close he is with the austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker:
“I have the chancellor’s WhatsApp, which means we are the only embassy, the only diplomats, who have met him so far.”
According to Roet, this meeting was at Stocker’s request, and the chancellor assured him that Austria would maintain strong relations with Israel, regardless of its actions in Gaza.
Yet, here we are, with Austria harboring a diplomat who calls for the mass execution of children, who openly flouts international law, and who receives no consequences. How can Austria call itself a champion of human rights while harboring such a diplomat? How can the United Nations remain in Vienna when the host country refuses to hold a foreign representative accountable for advocating genocide?
The UN’s Silence is an Endorsement of Genocide
The silence from Austria is deafening. But the silence from the UN is even more telling(16) Brave New Europe (@BRAVENEWEUROPE1) / X. If Austria refuses to expel Roet, then the UN has no choice but to move its operations out of Vienna. The institutions that claim to uphold international law and human rights cannot continue to operate in a country that tolerates genocide. If the UN continues to allow Austria to harbor those who incite mass murder, it will become complicit in the very crimes it was created to prevent.
A Warning to the World: Leave Vienna or Become Complicit
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 is an accomplice in this evil. If you believe in justice, in the rule of law, in human rights, then you must withdraw your diplomatic presence from Vienna. The world must demand that the UN relocate to a nation that upholds the principles it was founded upon.
History will judge us all. Austria’s failure to act, its 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 normalize it? The choice is ours. The stakes are too high to remain silent.
HERE the petition to have David Roet removed from Austria (in German only)
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