The revised anti-Jewish bill, embracing a more liberal definition of a Jew and extending the scope of exemptions, was brought before Parliament today for a point-by-point debate. A second reading of the measure, which would drastically limit participation of Jews in Hungary’s economic and cultural life, was adopted by the Chamber of Deputies last Thursday by a vote of 100 to 27.
Under amendments adopted by a joint parliamentary committee, Jews are defined as persons belonging to the Jewish religion or having at least one parent or two grandparents belonging to the Jewish religion when the new law goes into effect. Their descendants born after the law becomes effective will also be regarded as Jews.
Exemptions for war veterans who fought at the front have been extended by the amendments to include war orphans, active and retired university professors; the wives and children of participations in the nationalist revolutionary movements of 1918 and 1919; active priests in Christian churches, and Olympic title holders.
Clauses dealing with the franchise provide that only rabbis representing the Jewish community may be nominated to the Upper House and that only Jews born in Hungary and whose parents and grandparents lived in Hungary since 1867 are entitled to vote in parliamentary.
Jewish teachers in elementary and high schools and Jewish town clerks will be dismissed January 1, 1943. Jewish judges and public prosecutors will lose their posts on January 1, 1940.
The number, organization and activities of Jewish religious schools will henceforth be regulated by the Ministry of Religions. The proportion of Jewish students in the technical high schools will be enlarged from six per cent, as originally provided, to 12 per cent. On the other hand, new Jewish students will be admitted to universities only if the total of Jewish students does not exceed six per cent of the entire enrollment.
Licenses for state monopolies in the trades will not be granted to Jew, under the terms of the projected law. Licenses held by Jewish tobacconists and liquor dealers must be returned at the end of two years, and those held by Jewish chemists after five years. The bill also provides that Jews can be forced to sell or lease their estates.
The Nazi newspaper Pesti Ujsag voiced the fear in an editorial today that the bill will be defeated by the Upper House.
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.
