VIENNA, Oct 19 (AFP) - The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will escalate if the Palestinians continue with "terrorism", Israeli President Moshe Katsav said Tuesday during the first visit to Austria by an Israeli head of state.
Katsav told reporters after meeting Austrian President Heinz Fischer that if the Palestinians "stop terrorism all the atmosphere will be changed" and peace will follow.
"If they will not stop terrorism, unfortunately there will be escalation because the Israelis are not willing any more to tolerate the continuation of this terrible brutal tragedy," Katsav said.
He said Austria and other European states could help "by using their influence on the Palestinian side, on the constructive elements of the Palestinian side, to express their leadership, express their determination, their responsibility, for stopping the terror".
Both Fischer and Katsav spoke out against anti-Semitism.
Katsav said he found it "very sad that 60 years after the Holocaust we still should (have to) discuss what we should do" about anti-Semitism.
"We believe anti-Semitism is a stain against human values, a stain against democratic values, and we can not teach the young generation about human values if around them in the atmosphere there is anti-Semitism," Katsav said.
Fischer said Austria was committed to "sharing the moral responsibility for the crimes committed during the Nazi regime".