The refurbishment of abandoned Jewish cemeteries was also on the agenda of the meeting of the Jewish Community Roundtable held on Wednesday in Budapest, the Deputy Secretary for Social and Heritage Protection Affairs and Priority Cultural Projects at the Prime Minister’s Office told journalists after the meeting.

Csaba Latorczai indicated: the roundtable established in 2012 held its 11th meeting. The Government called this forum to life in order to consult with members of the Jewish community in an open and constructive manner, in appropriate circumstances.

Regarding the Wednesday meeting, he said: the Israeli Ambassador who recently arrived in Hungary had the opportunity to take part in the roundtable for the first time. At the meeting, chair János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office specifically asked Josef Amrani to outline his concept regarding Hungarian-Israeli relations, he added.

The Deputy State Secretary also pointed out: Hungary is now taking over the Presidency of the Visegrád Four, and the programme for the refurbishment of Jewish cemeteries was placed on the agenda as part of this, among others. The Government decided to make the necessary funds available in 2018, and together with members of the Jewish community, they developed a system for calls for proposals with a view to its implementation. The essence of this system lies in that proposals may be submitted by any organisation on behalf of the operators, but applicants who undertake to instruct local young people in the history of the Jewish community that once lived in the given locality as part of a special history lesson within the framework of communal school services as well as applicants who work together with other groups on the periphery of society in the refurbishment of cemeteries will be favoured.

He said: there are more than 1,600 abandoned Jewish cemeteries in Hungary. The refurbishment of most of them is subject to stringent religious regulations which the Government must respect. He further highlighted: we shall celebrate this year the anniversary of the fact that the Hungarian Parliament declared the Jewish community equal in a law in 1867. Participants of the roundtable made proposals regarding the programmes which would serve to celebrate this, but the idea also emerged that it should be commemorated before Parliament or in the Parliament Building.

András Heisler, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Hungary (Mazsihisz) told journalists upon leaving the meeting: the Jewish Community Roundtable must be a dialogue between the Jewish community and the Government, rather than between Jewish organisations and the Government. He added: he has always regarded this form of dialogue, the one which is represented by the roundtable, as important.

Regarding the consultation held behind closed doors, he said: Josef Amrani introduced himself to the Hungarian community also officially, and outlined his plans. In conjunction with the Ambassador’s speech, Mazsihisz proposed on behalf of several Jewish organisations that the Government should explore the possibility of recognising Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel, Mr Heisler said.

In answer to a question of the Hungarian news agency MTI, Mr Latorczai said in the context of the issue raised by Mr Heisler: the Israeli Government may continue to rely on the Hungarian Government’s constructive partnership also in the future – as to date – but the specific positions must be adopted and expressed on a case-to-case basis, with respect to the circumstances of the specific case. He added: it is a less-known fact, but Hungary always takes an intensively pro-Israel stance in international forums and organisations. He mentioned as an example the issue of kosher slaughter from the recent past, on which Hungary declared that it regards it as part of the individual’s freedom of conscience and religion.

(MTI)