Report: Jewish Leader Attacked in Hungary
Just days before the country hosts the World Jewish Congress
April 29, 2013
A Rally of Jobbik Supporters.(AFP)
Around this time last spring, James Kirchick wrote about the rise of Hungary’s far-right Jobbik Party, a fascist group that garnered 17% of the vote in the Hungarian elections and has been accused of fomenting hatred of Jews and Roma.
In the past year, more than a few incidents have increased fears about renascent anti-Semitism in the country. The choice of Hungary as host of the World Jewish Congress–to be held in the coming days–was a hopeful note along with last week’s march in support of Hungarian Jews, which brought out 10,000 participants.
Reuters is now reporting a very ugly incident involving the Jewish head of an anti-racism organization.
Ferenc Orosz, chairman of the Raoul Wallenberg Association, told Reuters he was assaulted after arguing with a group of supporters chanting the Nazi slogan at a match between the Hungarian teams Videoton and Ferencvaros in Budapest on Sunday.
The campaign group was formed in tribute to Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg who saved the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust.
According to Orosz, before he was assaulted and had his nose broken, the crowd was chanting “Sieg Heil.” As it’s pretty well known, the Hungarian Jewish community was among the most decimated groups during World War II with 500,000 Jews reportedly killed.
Related: Meet Europe’s New Fascists [Tablet]
Racist Fans Attack Hungarian Activist Ahead of Jewish Congress [Reuters]
Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.
