Reacting to an article in The Times of Israel, the Alliance of Hungarian Jewish Faith Communities (Mazsihisz) declared that it is not willing to establish contacts with Jobbik in any way.
Left-wing and liberal commentators claim that the government’s philosemitic and pro-Israel messages are just window-dressing. A pro-government columnist finds it outrageous that the Left is willing to cooperate with the Jobbik party. A centrist pundit thinks that it is good news that all mainstream parties try to disavow anti-Semitism. READ MORE
Budapest’s Jewish journal described as disquieting that the number one representative of world Jewry should be ‘unaware of the real nature of contemporary anti-Semitism’. The paper rejects Lauder’s description of Hungary as the most anti-Semitic country in Europe. READ MORE
Commentators unanimously agree in categorizing the sexual assaults by immigrants against women on New Year’s eve in Cologne as a turning point in the history of the latest mass immigration to Europe. Most interpret the scenes of violence as proof that the integration of the new arrivals will be significantly more difficult than German leaders originally thought. READ MORE
The most popular Jewish web magazine sharply criticises the Budapest Jewish Faith community for electing a former transvestite performer as its chief administrator and treasurer. READ MORE
A Jewish cultural weekly suggests that Jewish organizations should be prepared to make compromises but should also stay away from some of the events of the Holocaust memorial year. Reacting to earlier and sharper comments, one of the leading architects of the memorial year says the attacks are part and parcel of the election campaign. A conservative editor takes her defence against what he considers a vicious personal attack by a liberal historian. READ MORE
A Jewish website reports that anti-Semitism in Hungary has declined since 2010, but is still above the level measured eight years ago. Explaining why “many people have the impression that anti-Semitism is on the rise”, the sociologist who conducted the latest survey on the subject suggests that hard-core anti-Semites may feel encouraged by the presence of a far right party in Parliament and may behave more aggressively than earlier. READ MORE