A delegation of leading parliamentarians from Israel traveled to Budapest over
the weekend, where they voiced their concern at the growing level of
anti-Semitism in the country to senior Hungarian ministers and
officials.
The main impetus for the visit was remarks made by Marton
Gyöngyösi, a Hungarian MP from the far-right Jobbik Party, who last month called
for the creation of a “registry” of Jewish MPs and government officials in
Hungary. His remarks caused global outrage and were roundly condemned by senior
members of the Hungarian government.
The visit was also specifically
timed to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Sunday, in
order to provide greater emphasis for the urgent need to combat the surging
anti-Semitism across Europe.
The 11-member delegation included Italian MP
Fiamma Nirenstein, British MP John Mann and a group of five Israeli current and
former politicians headed by Yossi Peled, a Holocaust survivor, former minister
and current chairman of the advisory board of the Israeli-Jewish Congress.