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Anti-Semitism in Hungary
United against Jobbik
Politicians of all stripes rally in protest against Marton Gyongyosi’s speech
Dec 8th 2012 | BUDAPEST | from the print edition
[1] IT WAS a rare show of consensus in Hungary’s polarised politics. Politicians from left, right and centre addressed a demonstration in front of parliament on December 2nd, called to protest against an anti-Semitic speech by Marton Gyongyosi, an MP for the far-right Jobbik, Hungary’s third-largest party. /// [2] Thousands of demonstrators arrived from across the country to hear speeches from Antal Rogan, parliamentary leader of the ruling right-wing Fidesz party, Attila Mesterhazy of the Socialists and Gordon Bajnai of the centrist Together 2014 movement. All pledged their solidarity with Hungary’s Jews, and called for Hungarians to take a stand against hate and extremism.
[3] Mr Gyongyosi, who is vice-chairman of the parliament’s foreign-affairs committee, had called for the authorities to compile a national list of Hungarian Jews, especially those in parliament and government, who represent what he described as a “national-security risk”, allegedly slanting Hungarian foreign policy in Israel’s interest. The demand caused revulsion across the political spectrum and sent a shiver through Hungary’s Jews. More than 500,000 perished in the Holocaust, after the Nazis and their Hungarian accomplices used community lists to round up and deport Jews to Auschwitz and other concentration camps.
[4] The initial response of the MPs present and the government was tepid. There was no mass walkout. The government spokesman condemned the speech. Viktor Orban, the prime minister, stayed silent. Laszlo Kover, the speaker of parliament, called for new rules that would outlaw hate-speech. The opposition were more outspoken. The Socialists say they will boycott the foreign-affairs committee as long as Mr Gyongyosi continues as a member.
[5] Jobbik has 43 MPs out of 386 and around 8% support in the polls. Mr Gyongyosi himself is far from the stereotypical skinhead. As the son of a diplomat, he grew up in Egypt, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is well dressed, articulate and speaks perfect English.
[6] Government officials admit they want Jobbik’s voters. Ministers have remained largely silent on the growing cult of Miklos Horthy, Hungary’s leader between 1920 and 1944. Admiral Horthy passed a series of anti-Jewish laws, dragged the country into war as an ally of Nazi Germany and stood by as Hungarian Jews were sent to their deaths. The government’s refusal to take a stand on his growing rehabilitation strengthens the far right, say critics. Hungary’s anti-Semites feel more emboldened. Orthodox Jews say they now expect to hear racist remarks almost as a matter of course while going about their business.
[7] As outrage grew over Mr Gyongyosi’s speech, Fidesz’s political calculus seemed increasingly squalid. Even usually reliable allies turned on the government. A stinging article in Magyar Nemzet, a conservative daily, called on the country’s right-wing to “wake up” about the danger from the extremists.
[8] On December 3rd Mr Orban finally spoke out in parliament, saying that Mr Gyongyosi’s remarks were “unworthy of Hungary”. He received Peter Feldmajer, the leader of Hungary’s Jewish community, and pledged that all Hungarians would be secure and protected.
[9] Mr Gyongyosi later sought to downplay his comments and issued a qualified apology. Only Hungarian Jews with dual Israeli-Hungarian citizenship would have to be screened. Either way, he has been removed from a Hungarian government delegation to Italy. By uniting all three sides against anti-Semitism, Mr Gyongyosi has done his country a service, albeit not the one he intended.
from the print edition | Europe
Discussion Questions
1. First of all, explore anti-semitism by definition and talk about it in a rough and broad way on your own.
From the EU's working definition: Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or nonJewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.' /// In addition, such manifestations could also target the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for ``why things go wrong.'' It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits. /// Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to: Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
• Anti-semitism includes making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective - such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
• Anti-semitism includes accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by nonJews.
•Anti-semitism includes denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
• Anti-semitism includes accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
• Anti-semitism includes accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
2. Second of all, explore hate speech by definition and talk about it in a rough and broad way on your own.
Hate speech is Any non-PC statement about anything, especially on campus and among the pinko crowd. It's ok to hate ordinary American middle-class yahoos, though. Real hate speech does exist, but usually involves some form of incitement to riot. /// Hey, Joe! Lemme attac this male connector to the female one. /// Shut up, Jake! They'll write you up for hate speech. /// Fuck it then. They can write me up in the dark!
hate speech crime is Saying something when in fact nothing needs to be said because a lot of people are making alot of money. /// I'm not making money by saying this online so it must be a hate speech crime.
3. Third of all, explore hate crime by definition and talk about it in a rough and broad way on your own.
Hate crime is Generally, a crime committed against one or more individuals for which there is evidence that the motivation was hatred of the race, religion, color, ethnicity, nationality, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity of the victim or victims. /// "They tacked extra time on my sentence for a hate crime aggravation because I'm white and the guy I beat up was black. It seems black people get special protection. It's anti-white reverse racism." /// "You asshole, three witnesses testified that you were screaming 'N****r, n****r, n****r' while you were kicking the shit out of him. If you'd kept your fucking mouth shut, the court might have gone easier on you. Though your KKK tattoo might still have made the jury suspicious."
4. Discuss with your partners what the article is mainly talking about.
5. Discuss with your partners what hate crimes in Korea is happening/happened like 묻지마범죄(hate crime).
6. Discuss with your partners Korea’s polarised politics such as raising your voice on oppositions for opposition
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