#fightingintolerance

Earlier today, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a letter to András Heisler and Gusztáv Zoltai, chairman and managing director, respectively, of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (MAZSIHISZ) in response to their letter raising questions about a planned memorial to the victims of the German occupation. The following is the English translation of the full text of the letter.

Thursday marked the end of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish holiday known also as the Festival of Lights. Prime Minister Orbán sent a special greeting to Hungary’s Jewish community as the holiday began: "On the occasion of the holidays,” said the prime minister, “I assure the religious community that the government will do everything in its power to ensure that their religious traditions and faith can be practiced without fear."

Lighting the first candle on one of the open air menorots in Budapest. Source:MTI

The Jewish community has been an important part of religious and cultural life in Hungary for centuries, and despite the recent coverage of a growing anti-Semitism there is another side to this story that is so much more positive and encouraging. It’s about what some call a renaissance of Jewish life in Hungary, a faith community that is among the most vibrant Jewish communities in all of Europe. Earlier this year, one of Budapest’s districts broke ground on a new synagogue, the first time in 80 years that a new synagogue will be built in Budapest.  Earlier this week, the Jerusalem Post featured a Budapest rabbi who makes house calls to Jewish families during Hanukkah. These anecdotes show the dynamism of this community and paint a decidedly different picture than the one we get from the international press.

As we prepare for 2014, the official Hungarian Holocaust Memorial Year, we are encouraged by these stories. Most recently, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs János Martonyi visited Israel and reaffirmed the excellent bi-lateral relations between our two countries, while the work Hungary has carried out to protect its Jewish citizens from the unfortunate trends of anti-Semitism in Europe has received praise in both Israel and Washington DC.  The list goes on.

Also on the brighter side, for example, the Herzl Center (an institution dedicated to the Hungarian-born Theodor Herzl, the father of the idea of the Jewish state) opened its doors in Budapest earlier this week and Hanukkah menorot have been set up in public in many areas of the capital. Though there were cases of vandalism, the police caught the perpetrators in less than 48 hours.

A Hungarian member of parliament has admitted to prosecutors that he physically abused his spouse. As reported by the Associated Press, József Balogh of the ruling Fidesz party first denied the allegations that he beat his wife but has now “confessed to punching her in the face, grabbing her hair and slamming her head against wooden terrace railings.”

Balogh was reportedly drunk during the incident that occured April 28, and his wife suffered multiple fractures, including a broken nose, and other injuries.

“József Balogh is no longer a member of Fidesz,” said Máté Kocsis in a statement to the press this morning. “There’s no explanation for this [behavior],” said the party spokesman, adding that it’s completely at odds with the family values that Fidesz tries to promote.

József Balogh. Source: magyarhirlap.hu

Many of the reports that have appeared in the international press have neglected some important facts about how Fidesz has responded to this case, so I’d like to set the record straight.

When it first became apparent in May that Mr. Balogh may have beaten his wife, his membership in the Fidesz parliamentary group was immediately terminated. His parliamentary immunity has also been revoked. Although his court trial has not yet started, his membership in the party was suspended after his confession to prosecutors became public.

József Balogh has been a directly elected member of the Parliament since 1998 and with Fidesz beginning in 2002. He can lose his seat only by a decision of the court or if he resigns. He now caucuses as an independent.

Earlier this month, July 6, the capital was the site of the 18th annual, and biggest ever, Budapest Pride Parade. The event, which started off as an equal rights demonstration for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other sexual minorities, has gradually broadened into a week-long festival of events.

As I mentioned, the Pride parade saw a record number of participants this year – nearly 10,000, according to organizers. One incident, where three of the festival participants were assaulted by counter-demonstrators while walking home after the parade, tarnished what was otherwise an entirely peaceful, orderly day. Law enforcement is pursuing the alleged perpetrators. One suspect is already in custody and will be brought to justice. In Hungary, the dignity and rights of all people are protected in the new constitution, the Fundamental Law. But where does Hungary stand on the question of the rights of sexual minorities?

Earlier this year, ILGA, an organization advocating sexual minority rights, published a map of European countries, denoting degrees of respect for the human rights of sexual minorities. As you can see below, according to ILGA, Hungary stands clearly among the countries where rights are better respected and discrimination is lower –  those countries colored green – and really sticks out when compared with other countries in the region.

ILGA Rainbow Map

In Hungary, like in many European countries, the issue of same-sex unions is regulated in the Civil Code. The law recognizes the right of every adult to engage in a relationship with another adult under the legal category of civil union or civil partnership. This is every bit the same level of legal protection we find in other EU countries. And as ILGA has found, Hungary’s respect for rights and freedom from discrimination of sexual minorities, is on par with western Europe, and compared to some cases even better.