Statements of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán against anti-Semitism
- Viktor Orbán Prime Minister met with Mose Kantor (chairman of the European Jewish Congress) and more other European Jewish leaders including Péter Feldmájer (Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities) as well as Zoltai Gusztáv (Managing director of the organization). Then, the Hungarian Prime Minister declared among others: the Hungarian government is dedicated to fully respect the rights of the valuable Jewish community (April, 2011)
- In January 2012, Viktor Orbán Prime Minister in his address to the European Parliament said that “every minority in Hungary is protected, including the national minorities, but also the Roma and the Jewish minorities, the Hungarian Government will always protect these minorities in the future as well.” (January, 2012)
- Viktor Orbán Prime Minsiter in his speech to the Parliament said that the Hungarian Government rejects every statement that hurts human dignity (April, 2012)
- The Prime Minister’s Office officially condemned the desecration of the martyr memorial on the Danube bank (May, 2012)
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán emphasized in his interview to the German Focus magazine that his standpoint is clear: zero tolerance against anti-Semitism and anti-Roma attitudes (July, 2012)
- Referring to Gyöngyösi, Jobbik MP of the Parliament Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that “As long as I am in this post, no one in Hungary can be harmed because of their faith, convictions or origin. I would like to make it clear that (…) we, Hungarians will protect our Jewish compatriots” then adding that “Hungary has suffered dictatorship and nothing or no one will derail Hungary from the democratic conviction, the love of freedom and the unconditional respect of human dignity” (December, 2012)
- Viktor Orbán’s statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day: On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Hungarian Government pays its respects to the victims. The painful anniversary compels every good-hearted Hungarian to pay their tributes Hungary is the home of the largest Jewish community in Central Europe, the flowering culture of which has always been an integral part of Hungarian culture, and remains so today. The 1944-45 tragedy of the Jewish people is thus also the tragedy of the Hungarian nation. The Hungarian Government feels that it is its moral and political obligation to consistently confront the dictatorships of the 20th century and the atrocities they committed. We have introduced Holocaust Remembrance Day in every Hungarian school, established the House of Terror Museum, and it is almost ten years now since the Holocaust Memorial Center began operating in Budapest. 2014 is the 70th anniversary of the annihilation of the Hungarian Jews, in view of which the Hungarian Government has formed the Hungarian Holocaust 2014 Committee. It is my form belief that Hungary is a country in which people can never again suffer disadvantage or indignity because of their origin or faith. We shall protect the country’s every citizen and know no compromise in this regard. We shall not tolerate and strongly condemn the stigmatising of minorities in any form, and every expression of anti-Semitism. (January, 2013)
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on Memorial Day for Victims of Communism that „perhaps the 20th century was the bloodiest century in human history. Torturing and killing of millions are associated with the two horrible ideologies of the century, nacism and communism. Nowadays, it is our task to build a country where nobody can be discriminated against because of his/her gender, origin, religion, political views, nationality or language. Additionally, our task is not to allow that the victims of dictatorship fall into oblivion”. (February, 2013)
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán categorically rejected all attempts to undermine human dignity. In Parliament, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ordered Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér to ensure that on the day of the March of the Living, it will be impossible to organise events of a political nature that may violate the marchers’ human dignity. The March of the Living Foundation is commemorating the victims of the Holocaust in Hungary on 21 April. The Prime Minister stated that the safety, undisturbed remembrance and human dignity of the participants of the March of the Living would be assured with all available means. The Prime Minister went on to say that he agreed that all attempts to disregard and even purposefully violate the dignity, history and pride of certain ethnic groups while insulting human dignity are not just performed in poor taste, but are deeply hurtful and contrary to the spirit of the Constitution. “I categorically reject all such behaviour”, he remonstrated. He emphasized that the March of the Living is about the victory of life. The Ministry of Interior issued a statement saying that the Budapest police force will ban the demonstration of motorcyclists using all legislative means since the time and route of the event as well as its provocative slogan offend every good-minded person (April, 2013)
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed in his letter to President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald S. Lauder that it is an honour for Hungary to host the 14th Plenary Assembly of the WJC in Budapest between 5-7 May, 2013. (April, 2013)
- In relation to the World Jewish Congress in Budapest Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has instructed Minister of Interior Affairs Sándor Pintér to not allow any event or demonstration that could harm human dignity (April, 2013)
