Aaron Kalman is a former writer and breaking news editor for the Times of Israel
Hungarian President Janos Ader (photo credit: CC-BY Rita Molnar/Wikipedia)
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin announced Thursday that Hungarian President Janos Ader would attend a ceremony marking Raoul Wallenberg’s 100th birthday.
Hungarian President Janos Ader (photo credit: CC-BY Rita Molnar/Wikipedia)
The announcement came several days after a minor diplomatic incident, when on Sunday Rivlin canceled his Hungarian counterpart’s planed visit and participation in the upcoming ceremony.
In a letter sent to the Speaker of the Hungarian Paliament Laszlo Kover, Rivlin said he was no longer welcome at the ceremony. The letter was written after Kover attended a memorial service honoring Nazi collaborator, author and parliamentarian Jozsef Nyiro.
The ceremony, planed for July, will mark 100 years since the birth of diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, known for saving thousands during the Holocaust.
“We are astonished that you chose to attend the (Nyiro) event,” Rivlin (Likud) wrote to Kover. “By doing so you have publicly announced your identification with a man whose party, as part of the Hungarian government, collaborated with the murderous Nazis in carrying our their plan to destroy the Jewish people.”
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