Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó reassured Israel’s Ambassador to Budapest by telephone on Friday that the Hungarian Government has declared a policy of zero tolerance with regard to anti-Semitism. In a statement to Hungarian news agency MTI, Mr. Szijjártó said he had told Ambassador Yossi Amrani that the activities of Miklós Horthy as governor included both positive and extremely negative periods.

Mr. Szijjártó told the Ambassador that Prime Minister Orbán had expressed himself clearly when he explained his standpoint on Miklós Horthy, the Minister told MTI.

At the opening ceremony of the newly renovated Klebelsberg Mansion on 21 June, the Prime Minister said that it was thanks to a few outstanding statesmen, including Miklós Horthy, that “history did not bury us beneath itself after all” under the huge weight to the lost World War, the 133 days of the Red Terror and the dictate of Trianon.

“History must be respected, and the historical facts indicate that the activities of Miklós Horthy as governor included both positive and extremely negative periods”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

The Foreign Minister said that an undoubtedly positive moment in the career of Miklós Horthy, was that fact that he had won merit in putting Hungary back on its feet after the First World War.

“However, it is extremely negative and belongs in the category of historical sin that despite his oath he did not protect Hungary’s Jews, who were part of the Hungarian nation. It belongs in the category of historical sin that laws which discriminated against Jews were introduced during his time in office, and that hundreds of thousands of Jews fell victim to the Holocaust”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

The Minister declared that these are historical sins that cannot be relativized. “All historical facts must be respected whether they are positive or fall into the category of historical sin, even if they are linked to the same person”, he said.

Mr. Szijjártó emphasised that the Hungarian Government has declared a policy of zero tolerance with regard to anti-Semitism.

“Our Government is one of the European governments that has done the most to combat anti-Semitism. While Hungary has its current government, the Hungarian Jewish community can be sure that the Government will protect them in every respect”, he said.

The Foreign Minister pointed out that in 2000, the Orbán government issued a decree on the introduction of Holocaust Memorial Day.

“It is no accident that the Government has placed the most emphasis on issues relating to the teaching of the Holocaust in schools”, he said, noting that the Government is in constant cooperation with Jewish organisations. “We will continue to protect the Jewish community in future against any and all attacks of an anti-Semitic nature and against any attempts to endanger or discriminate against Hungary’s Jewish community”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

(MTI)