December 18, 2015
The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) has welcomed the decision by the city council of Szekesfehervar to scrap plans to build a life-size statue of Bálint Homan, an anti-Semitic minister in the fascist Hungarian government and Nazi supporter who was actively involved in the passing of anti-Jewish legislation in the 1930s and in the deportation of Hungarian Jews to the death camps in the 1940s. In July of this year, the ADC called on the Hungarian government to halt plans to erect the memorial honouring Homan.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“The grant by the Hungarian government to the City of Szekesfehervar to erect this statue should never have happened. Nevertheless, we welcome this decision which was long overdue. We are also pleased to see the international chorus of voices, including citizens and government officials, who mobilised around this issue and opposed the bestowing of an honour on this Nazi sympathiser, collaborator and openly anti-Semitic minister whose actions led to the murder of 600,000 Hungarian Jews at the hands of the Nazis. It was particularly gratifying to hear Hungarian Prime Minister Vicktor Orban’s statement, earlier this week, that he opposed the building of the memorial. This case illustrates the power of those who dare to speak out against any form of anti-Semitism and who are willing to stand up for what is right. As we said in July, the government and people of Hungary had an opportunity to demonstrate that they were committed to genuinely countering the rise of Jewish-hatred, and to show that the abhorrent actions of individuals like Homan will never find acceptance and a place in Hungarian society. This decision goes some way to affirming that.”
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677
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