By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest with BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)– Hungary’s President László Sólyom signed a law Wednesday, March 10, making denial, or playing down, of the Holocaust a criminal offense punishable by up to three years imprisonment.
The move came amid concerns about rising extremism and antisemitism here ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections next month.
Opinion polls suggest the far-right Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik), whose leaders have been criticized for perceived anti-Jewish remarks, could become the third, or even second, largest political party.
Last month Hungary’s parliament already approved the Holocaust-denial legislation, after more wide-ranging versions were rejected by courts on grounds they limited free speech.
Sólyom, who previously criticized the law, signed the latest version because he did not consider it to be violating Hungary’s constitutional right to freedom, said his spokesman Ferenc Kumin.
NEWS WELCOMED
The governing Socialist Party and representatives of Hungary’s growing Jewish community of over 100,000 people welcomed the news Wednesday, March 10.
However the centre-right opposition party Fidesz, which is expected to become the largest party in April elections, abstained from voting for the law after Socialists rejected a motion to extend the scope of the legislation to cover crimes committed by Communists from 1948 to 1989.
More than 600,000 Hungarian Jews died in the Holocaust, according to the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (MAZSIHISZ) as well as tens of thousands of gypsies, also known as Roma.
Hungary was a close ally of Nazi-Germany during most of the war.
RABBI FUNERAL
Sólyom signed the law while Jews buried Hungary’s former chief rabbi, Tamás Raj, who died Monday, March 7, at the age of 70.
Raj played a key role in improving ties between the Christian community and Orthodox Jewish people, his supporters said.
Those relations had been tense following World War Two.
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Despite the fact that there is so much evidence supporting the existence of the Jewish Holocaust, despite that there are people who choose To deny that, this law criminalizing free speech is against freedom in every way. The Jewish organizations who continuously push for these laws from country to country have one agenda: to stifle your thoughts and words. But it’s ok for them to bankrupt entire countires via Goldman/IMF and run the illegal organ harvesting trade. ” that’s ok, just don’t say silly things or you go to jail”.
Jews, please stop this insanity. This is how you get yourself in trouble… Again.
Dear Matt,
While a healthy discussion on freedom of speech is to be encouraged we are a bit suprised about your last sentences. You seem to suggest that “them”, apparently Jewish people, are bankrupting entire countries via Goldman/IMF “and run the illegal organ harvesting trade”.
Last time we checked the International Monetary Fund was actually involved in rescue packages saving several countries from bankrupcy, including Hungary where we are based. There may well be Jews who have been involved in wrongdoing, including perhaps even illegal organ harvesting, just as there are many non-Jewish people involved in these and other crimes.
And, yes, some Jewish groups and author (and Holocaust survivor)
Elie Wiesel support banning Holocaust denial. But does that justify, or explains, the reason for another Holocaust against Jews, or in your words: “this is how you get yourself in trouble…again” ? I don’t think so.
Unlike you, I publish my full name.
Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLife
You’ve got great insights about Bishop Williamson, keep up the good work!
As a Jew, and as an American, I don’t like banning speech. Yes, there are anti-Semitic crackpots and, yes, there are things that people aren’t supposed to say. However, reason and support, logic, and evidence should be the tools to debunk hypotheses such as the Holocaust being a hoax and “the government” doing the 9/11 terrorist attacks – not a ban by fiat. That’s like saying “I win the argument because I’ll jail you if you say otherwise, hahahahahaha”. This smacks uncomfortably of incidents such as medieval disputations between rabbis and Christians, which allegedly led to dead rabbis.