Friday, June 17, the "desecration by vandals of 130 tombstones" this week in one of Hungary’s most well-known Jewish cemeteries. "Religious tolerance is one of our nation’s most deeply held values," the US Embassy said in a statement to BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest. "The desecration of graves is a reprehensible act that offends all of us who uphold this important democratic principle," the embassy added.
The attack at the Kozma Utca Jewish Cemetery in Budapest came amid growing concern among Jewish and other leaders about anti Semitism in Hungary, which was a close ally of Nazi Germany when about 600-thousand Hungarian Jews died. There are up to 100-thousand Hungarians still living in Hungary, Eastern Europe’s largest community outside Russia.
"We recognize the statements by President [Ferenc] Madl, Prime Minister [Ferenc] Gyurcsany, and the chairpersons of the four parliamentary parties as an unequivocal and unanimous condemnation of these acts in the name of the government and people of Hungary," the US Embassy said.
"AGGRESIVE INVESTIGATION"
US officials also "welcome the aggressive investigation into this case by the Budapest Police and the eventual arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators." The embassy said however that "the United States of America remains committed to working with its close friend and partner the Republic of Hungary to promote the values of democracy, freedom, rule of law, and respect for human rights."
The destruction of the graves was discovered Wednesday, June 15, when the cemetery was re-opened after it was closed Sunday to observe the Jewish holiday Shavuot. No slogans or graffiti were reportedly painted on them, said Hungary’s Jewish Association.
However a politician of the main governing Hungarian Socialist Party, Laszlo Donath, warned this week that the "fact that no neo-Nazi signs were daubed on the graves did not mean the act had not been fuelled by the same bigotry that these symbols stood for." (With Stefan J. Bos and BosNewsLife Research)
