VIENNA (EJP)---The leader of Vienna’s Jewish community, Ariel Muzicant, was unanimously elected Wednesday for a third five-year term.

Muzicant’s Atid faction had already gained the most votes in a November vote within the executive committee of the ’Israelitische Kultusgemeinde Wien’ (IKG).

The 55-year-old Muzicant, who has led Vienna’s 7,500-member Jewish community since 1998, is also since 1990 a member of the board of directors of the Jewish Museum of Vienna.

Born in Haifa, Israel, the real estate businessman has been a harsh critic of Austrian politicians, in particular denouncing the neglect shown to Jewish cemeteries even as the state maintains the graves of Wehrmacht and SS officers.

“18 cemeteries, which have been partially destroyed, were abandoned during 70 years,” Muzicant said.

“It is paradoxical and scandalous that, since 1948 Austria has a law to maintain the graves of all fallen Wehrmacht and SS soldiers, but the graves of the 350,000 Jews whose families were deported and murdered, are allowed to fall into dilapidation."

In 1938, during the ‘Anschluss’ or annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany, 180,000 Jews lived in Vienna.