BREAKING NEWS

Hungary envoy slams far-right party's call for list of Jews

NOVEMBER 28, 2012 22:59

Hungary's Jews are in no danger and need not feel they should leave the country, Budapest's envoy to Israel, Zoltan Szentgyorgyi, told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday.

Szentgyorgyi was relating to the call of far-right Hungarian political leader Marton Gyongyosi to the government to draw up a list of Jews in Hungary who posed a "national security threat." There are an estimated 100,000 Jews in the country.

"As a Hungarian patriot, my goal is to live in a country where communities can live according to their culture and tradition, and would like to raise my children in such a place," the ambassador said.

Szentgyorgyi, who has served as his country's envoy to Israel for the last five years, stressed that the Hungarian government roundly condemned Gyongyosi's suggestion. Gyongyosi is the deputy leader of the far-right, anti-Semitic and anti-Roma Jobbik party that is the third largest party in the Hungarian parliament with 47 of the parliament's 386 seats.

Szentgyorgyi said that all the country's political parties condemned the move, and that a spontaneous demonstration against it took place in front of the Hungarian parliament with demonstrators wearing yellow stars in solidarity.

The ambassador said it was impossible to deny that anti-Semitism existed in Hungary, and that the way to reduce the influence of the extremist party was by "good governance." He said he expected the Jobbik party to lose ground in the 2014 elections.

More than 100 inmates escape from Nigeria prison

By REUTERS

04/25/2024 12:41 PM

Israeli security forces make arrests in West Bank

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

04/25/2024 12:32 PM

Bezalel Smotrich slams Chief of Staff for lack of creativity

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

04/25/2024 10:16 AM

Hezbollah says they are ready to deal with a wider front against Israel

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

04/25/2024 09:57 AM