Hungarian Head Pledges No Function for Anti-Semites in His Government

Jozsef Antall, the newly elected prime minister of Hungary, reassured leaders of Jewish groups that members of his Hungarian Democratic Forum who have made anti-Semitic statements will not have a leading role in the new government.

Antall, son of a Righteous Gentile who has been honored by Yad Vashem, sought the meeting himself during the campaign in order to assuage growing qualms over manifestations of anti-Semitism during Hungary’s election campaign.

Jews in Hungary have become increasingly edgy since the appearance of anti-Semitic flyers, campaign statements and graffiti that was smeared on posters of Jewish candidates, most of whom belonged to the Alliance of Free Democrats, which lost at the polls.

Anti-Semitic flyers were sent to the offices of MIOK, the Central Board of Hungarian Jews, and to the Budapest Rabbinical Seminary.

At the Feb. 2 meeting here at the office of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Antall told six leaders of the conference and the World Jewish Congress that "there would be no repetition" of statements construed as anti-Semitic, recalled Malcolm Hoenlein, executive director of the conference.

"Antall sought to reassure us that those individuals who have made references of an anti-Semitic nature do not play a leading role in the party," said Elan Steinberg, WJC executive director.

SPOKE OUT AGANIST MINORITIES

Antall referred specifically to statements made by Istvan Czurko, a fellow member of the center-right party, who spoke out in a radio broadcast against minorities.

Czurko did not say the word "Jew," although it was so construed, said Leslie Keller, a Hungarian Jewish emigre who is head of three international Jewish groups helping the Jewish community of Hungary.

"Before the elections, we hoped that the new government would be led by Mr. Antall and that he would be able to control the anti-Semitism," Keller said.

Czurko lost in his own drive to represent his district, but will nevertheless sit in Parliament because he is a leader of the Democratic Forum’s party list.

Likewise, Rabbi Tomas Raj, a candidate of the Alliance of Free Democrats, was defeated but will sit in Parliament as a leader of that party.

The Alliance, which has many Jews among its leaders, was targeted during the campaign with Stars of David or swastikas on campaign posters.

The Jews as a group will also have a representative in Parliament because of a new measure allowing for representation for eight minority groups.

Conversely, Hungary’s chief rabbi, Alfred Schoner, will no longer hold the seat he held for the past several years as a religious leader.

"The Jews hope that the new government will be loyal to the Jews, in the same way that the Jews are loyal to the country," Keller said.

Antall’s father, who was Hungary’s deputy interior minister during World War II, saved not only Hungarian Jews but Polish Jews who had fled into Hungary.