Hungary Jews warn Orban over anti-Semitism in anti-Soros campaign

The Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities is asking Prime Minister Viktor Orban to immediately end a political ad campaign targeting Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist George Soros.

Federation president Andras Heisler says in a letter to Orban released Thursday that while the government’s campaign is not “openly anti-Semitic” it is “very capable” of arousing uncontrolled passions, including anti-Semitism.

The government last week launched a billboard and television ad campaign seeking to discredit Soros’ pro-migration views. The posters and billboards show a smiling Soros with the caption “Let’s not allow Soros to have the last laugh!” and a notice claiming that 99 percent of Hungarians reject illegal migration.

Some of the posters in Budapest and other large cities in Hungary were defaced with slogans like “stinking Jew” written across the Soros image.

— AP