Another Jewish organisation expressed fears that Márton Gyöngyösi, who in his 2012 speech in parliament called for the listing of members of parliament of Jewish origin, will run for the next president of Jobbik. Kálmán Szalai, the secretary of the Action and Protection Foundation (APF) and the Action and Protection League (APL), told the Kossuth Radio on Tuesday morning that as members of the Jewish community they are very concerned that such a man could become the leader of a parliamentary party, reports the Magyar Nemzet.
“A party that was conceived in the spirit of racism and antisemitism should no longer exist. The best way to fulfil its mission is to dissolve itself”, said Kálmán Szalai, the Secretary of the Action and Protection Foundation (APF) and the Action and Protection League (APL), stressing that Márton Gyöngyösi’s 2012 speech in parliament was the most serious antisemitic speech by an MP.
“Ten years after his ominous speech, the current Member of the European Parliament of the party is returning to the intellectual roots as a member of which he made that glorious statement. Moreover, since then he has not had the courage to stand up and say ‘I was wrong, I said the wrong thing’, instead he has chosen to blur what he said” claimed Szalai.
According to Szalai, Jobbik joined forces with Ferenc Gyurcsány in vain, as this party will always remain the party that used to discriminate gypsies, Jews, created the Hungarian Guard and marched and threatened people in the streets. This party is still Jobbik. Its name and its politicians are the same. Some of them have been replaced, but who knows for what reason.
He highlighted that before the 2022 elections, there were many parties that spat in the face of themselves and cooperated with Jobbik for political gain. Szalai pointed out that the politicians who had joined forces with Jobbik were those who had queued up at the demonstrations organised in 2012, precisely in connection with Gyöngyösi’s speech. These politicians have now spoken out loudly for the need to ally with Jobbik and forget what Jobbik said.
“Fortunately, this minor party has been reduced to one third, but there are parties that have forgotten what Jobbik did, and have called for and voiced cooperation. How can these parties be expected to do anything about antisemitism and racism after all this? How can they speak out and argue against antisemitism?”, asked Szalai in the interview, adding that those who embraced Jobbik should keep quiet when it comes to antisemitism.
The Action and Protection League is supported by the Bethlen Gábor Fund.