Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Jewish Leaders Call on Europe to Ban Neo-Nazi Parties


Jewish Leaders Call on Europe to Ban Neo-Nazi Parties
By Margit Feher from Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2013

                As the World Jewish Congress concludes its three-day, annual plenary meeting Jewish leaders from around the globe come together and urge European countries like Hungary and Greece to effectively ban neo-Nazi parties. This meeting is usually held in Jerusalem, but this year it took place in Budapest, Hungary in order to raise awareness of the emerging extremist groups and show support to the Jewish population in Central Europe. Hungary allowed a demonstration, "Justice for Hungary - Remembering the victims of Bolshevism and Zionism," to take place during the kickoff of the World Jewish Congress meeting. Though the Prime Minister made public statements against this rally, he has been hesitant to condemn specific parties like the Jibbik, which has an extreme nationalist perspective and may have influence over the right wing vote. This influence and possible pushback from the party could be a concern in the upcoming spring 2014 elections for the Prime Minister, which is the cause for some hesitancy to act. The Prime Minister has supported the Jewish community in Hungary, but has not publically criticized the Jibbik party.

Written by Michelle Ankerholtz

No comments: