In the first visit to Austria by an Israeli head of state, Israel's President Moshe Katzav arrived under tight security Tuesday for a four-day stay aimed at improving bilateral ties. About 300 police officers, an anti-terrorist unit and bodyguards were deployed to provide security for Katzav. Vienna's Heldenplatz, or Heroes' Square, where the official welcoming ceremony took place, was closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Katzav was welcomed by President Heinz Fischer, a Social Democrat and longtime head of the Austrian National Council, or parliament. Kept at a distance by metal barriers, about a dozen activists demonstrated against the visit, waving Palestinian flags. One held a sign reading "Zionism = Racism." The Austrian government officially billed Katzav's visit as "a step in the expansion of traditionally good relations between the two countries."
