Hungarian lawmaker to speak on ‘Zionist threat’

JTA — A lawmaker from Hungary’s Jobbik Party who recently called for listing Jews as a “security risk” reportedly is planning a lecture tour about the “Zionist threat.”

The lecture tour by Marton Gyongyosi is set to begin this year, Jobbik said in a statement.

Gyongyosi drew passionate condemnations in Hungary and abroad when he said during a speech in parliament in November that “it was time to compile a list of Hungarian Jews” as they pose “a national risk.” His address concerned Hungarians with dual nationalities, specifically the Israeli nationality.

In recent weeks, Jobbik, Hungary’s third-largest party, has intensified its hostile rhetoric against Israel and Jews. Eleven out of the 16 articles featured on Sunday on the homepage of the party’s English-language website were devoted to Jewish institutions or Israel.

Even before this intensification, Jobbik’s anti-Israel and anti-Jewish rhetoric led to its labeling as anti-Semitic by the Anti-Defamation League, as well as Israeli and American diplomats.