“The Jewish community is safe in Hungary”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared in a Facebook post on Saturday.

“Our Jewish compatriots have nothing to fear, there is no need for armed soldiers at their cultural festivals, synagogues and Jewish cemeteries have been rebuilt with state funding, and last year we were the proud hosts of the European Maccabi Games”, Mr. Szijjártó added.

The Minister made the statement in reaction to the fact that German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth “put on the same old record again” and accused Hungary of being anti-Semitic.

Mr. Szijjártó explained that when he was State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the period 2012-2014, he had many heated debates with the German social democratic Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. “Because Michael Roth made/makes use of every possible opportunity to attack Hungary and Poland”, he stated, adding: “and this remains the case today”. “Accordingly, these days I usually wave away his comments”, the Minister wrote, pointing out that on this occasion, however, Michael Roth said something “that cannot be left without comment”.

Mr. Szijjártó asked the German Minster of State to stop his unfair attacks on the Hungarian people, and suggested that next time he makes a statement with relation to such a serious issue, he should first have a look at what’s happening in his own backyard.

(MTI/Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)