When I write this title, I have to think about whether there is such a thing as Jewish politics. After all, Judaism does not define itself as a minority, so we can speak more about religious politics or institutional politics. The word itself can generate some kind of suspicion from the outset, a kind of accusation of anti-Semitism. It's worth calling a spade a spade. It is no coincidence that Chief Rabbi Róna regularly instructs the American publicist in his published article on the subject, thus:
I was amazed to read his article published in The Wall Street Journal, in which at one point he called the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, an anti-Semite, said the president of Zsima Zsima in an open letter addressed to publicist David Nirenberg, which he published on his social media page. In his letter, the rabbi quoted his previous statement to Mandiner, in which he talked about, among other things, that
Hungarian Jewry is experiencing a new heyday, and the government of Hungary gives special support to Hungarian and Hungarian-speaking Jewish communities across the border.
We see quite a few pictures of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as he expresses his respect and solidarity with the Jewish people in his appearance, wearing a hat, wearing a kippah, and frequently posing in front of the Israeli flag. Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer voices anti-Semitic against the Hungarian Prime Minister, but this groundless slur is still quite loud.
So what's the point? After all
the Hungarian government declared zero tolerance against all kinds of anti-Semitic manifestations and backed this up with laws.
His opponents know this very well, but also that, understandably, Jews have particularly painful memories of fascism. (Not only them!)
That is why the left and the liberals choose the tactic of calling the Hungarian government dictatorial, drifting towards totalitarianism and fascism. In fact, it is dangerous, because it subtly supports efforts in this direction. And the people, the God-given people, are also latent anti-Semites, we know their type well, the well-off Ákos Kertész also wrote: people who eat laundry, are genetically inferior.
Hungarian left-wing politics are happy to suggest all this, and the media channels of their American colleagues are amplifying their voices, as we can see. However, in the aforementioned article, the journalist shoots himself in the foot. Chief Rabbi Róna refers to this when he highlights it in the raw translation
the term "Jewish power", i.e. "Jewish supremacy", which he uses in the publicist's essay.
According to Tamás Róna, this concept is inherently offensive and even anti-Semitic and the II. recalls the worst moments of World War II, the Holocaust and Nazism.
In his letter, the chief rabbi also emphasizes: "In addition to its inaccuracy, I would like to point out that calling the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, an anti-Semite in a world-famous newspaper that reaches millions of people is an extreme expression, especially in terms of the fact that I can claim that as chief rabbi, our government has emphasized supported Hungarian and Hungarian-speaking Jewish communities abroad in Hungary and neighboring countries."
There is one more important thing: a kind of struggle can be seen in this country between the former Jewish organizations and the new ones, which mainly gather young people, such as ZSIMA or the United Hungarian Israelite Faith Community represented by Slomó Köves. This means, on the one hand, that organizations and leaders who have been socialized on the breasts of the MSZMP and the Labor Guard are less and less able to assert their often hostile and selfish will against the Christian-conservative government, and on the other hand, they are forced to confront the younger ones from time to time. It was not by chance that Tamás Róna was removed from the Mazsihisz, he, who is one of the most qualified and respected rabbis.
Róna admits that anti-Semitism exists, much stronger elsewhere than in Hungary - especially in America - but in our country the government has given countless concrete signs that it is fighting against it. In his reply, the rabbi lists many institutions that can benefit from the positive effects of this cooperation. The Hungarian administration maintains an exceptionally good relationship with the Israeli government.
Finally, the author of this article also has friends who have their suitcases ready in case they need to escape!
It is understandable and regrettable that even today they live in this terrible bubble of fear, and psychology knows that even the slightest suspicion raises dramatic memories and emotions to the sky.
This should not be played with and such beliefs should not be reinforced by the use of multi-million dollar media. Mainly not to use these as a domestic, left-wing weapon and shout them down, nor to publish them as a quasi-foreign opinion.
Featured image: MTI/Szilárd Koszticsák
