November 28, 2012

(JTA) — A Hungarian Jewish organization said it will file a complaint against a lawmaker who proposed drawing up a list of “dangerous” Jews in government.

“There is no alternative to legal recourse now,” the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation said on Tuesday in a statement about the parliamentary address the previous day by Márton Gyöngyösi of the ultra-nationalist Jobbik party.

During a Parliament session on Israel’s latest clash with Hamas, Gyöngyösi said that Jews in the government posed a national risk and should be monitored. He also said a census should be held of all Hungarian Jews.

Rabbi Slomó Köves – a Chabad emissary and director of the Budapest-based Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation – said his organization is initiating a “criminal procedure” against Gyöngyösi’s “open Nazism inside parliament.”

His statement did not specify which procedure is being taken. Koves also called on Hungarian democratic parties to “take action” on Jobbik – a party which the ADL calls “openly anti-Semitic.”

Several lawmakers in Hungary wore yellow Stars of David on Tuesday as hundreds of protesters rallied to condemn Gyöngyösi for his speech, according to The Associated Press. 

Like JTA on Facebook for updates on Jewish news, photos and more.

Click to write a letter to the editor.

This article was made possible by the support of readers like you. Donate to JTA now.