The proposed land reform law, which it was charged virtually makes it impossible for Jews to obtain land or repossess confiscated holdings, was attacked today at a meeting here of Jewish leaders from all parts of Hungary.
They voted to submit a memorandum to the parliament voicing Jewish demands on various issues and pointing out the present attitude of the Government was contrary to the clause in the armistice agreement which guarantees equality for Jews, and would jeopardize Hungarian interests at the peace conference.
The conference, which was held in the headquarters of the Jewish community council, also discussed other difficulties facing Hungarian Jews in their attempt to reintegrate themselves into the country’s economy. The principal speakers were Lazlo Stoeckler, president of Central Committee of Hungarian Jews; Ernoe Munkacsi, general secretary of the organization and Chief Rabbi Ferenc Hevesi.
Rabbi Hevesi told the meeting that Jewish landlessness has driven them to “undesirable occupations” which help to breed anti-Semitism. Demanding urgent action to meet this problem, he stressed that a large number of Jewish farmers would be adversely affected by the law, even though the Government has promised to compensate Jews for land which is not returned to them.
Other speakers pointed out that although the Government is not anti-Semitic it is not complying with the justified demands of the Jews. However, they greeted the recent indication by the authorities that the Government would waive its claims to property of Jews who have disappeared leaving behind no heirs, and assign such property the Jewish community to aid the needy.
The tone of today’s meeting was extremely militant. Speaker after speaker demanded that there be no further compromise or haggling. They attacked the attitude of Minister of Welfare Erio Molnar, who they charged was anti-Zionist.
At a Zionist mass-meeting here last night, Mihaly Salamen, president of the Zionist Federation, said that although the recommendations of the Angle-American inquiry committee were only a partial solution of the problem, they mark “an awakening of the world’s conscience.” Other speakers declared that Zionism was the only solution to the Jewish problem “in hostile Europe,” and attacked assimilationist tendencies as suicidal. The meeting also protested the Government’s refusal to permit the issuance of a Zionist newspaper.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
