Orbán, Fêting Fascism, Declares Budapest 'Safest' for Jews
Fox News reports Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared Budapest Europe’s safest city for Jews, even as the Anti-Defamation League notes a continent-wide surge in antisemitism. This bold claim comes from a leader whose Fidesz party has faced accusations of antisemitism itself—including historical revisionism downplaying Hungary's role in the Holocaust and state-sponsored campaigns against
Jewish billionaire George Soros, replete with classic antisemitic tropes. Orbán's government previously erected a controversial monument in 2014 commemorating the 1944 German occupation, which critics, including Jewish community leaders, widely viewed as absolving Hungary of its active collaboration in the extermination of its Jewish population. So, the 'safest city' declaration isn't just
tone-deaf; it's a meticulously crafted exercise in PR. It leverages genuine concern about antisemitism to launder the image of a government that has, for years, normalized rhetoric long associated with antisemitic movements to consolidate power (orban.hu, ADL.org, New York Times, 2014 & 2018). It appears that as long as the Jewish community in question focuses on supporting Israel, leaders like
Orbán find it convenient to offer 'safety' endorsements, ignoring the historical and ongoing patterns of their own party's conduct.