No, we are not!

I will be short. No need for long justification, reasoning or excuses.

My country is all over the news stating, “Anti-Semitism is everywhere” coupled with a picture as the tangible proof. A picture that – after a short research – turns out to be taken in France not in Hungary. How convenient.

You all, throw the bad, worse and the worst accusations and guesses on my country. Therefore, you throw on me. So I need use my tool to answer, I needed to write you!

I read comments from Jewish and Jewish-supporters literally spitting on my country in seconds as far as from the USA or Serbia and – excuse me if I accuse you – but when I am over the seas usually nobody seems to know where my country is; not more and not less than this simple elementary mapping on the globe is usually a challenge… (Exceptions are appreciated and noted)

Mostly, Hungary equals to the cheap joke of being hungry. So, now suddenly, you all know our geographic location, history and current political set up. I see. Well-done people! I am happy to see this diligence and hard work.

But deep inside, I do not believe you. I don’t believe you know our geographic location, history or current political set up. No, I don’t. I think you are simply judging. But it is not (only) your fault. You are misled and almost brainwashed by the gorilla marketing of some news platforms. How I always compare: “If you want to judge a country based on a few extremists that you find in every country then it is as bad as people judging Israel based on what they say or hear via CNN! Israeli people, do you like listening how western media is reporting about you, you and the Palestinian issue? I bet no.”

It hurts me. It hurts me deeply.
What can I do?!
Well, I can do a lot.

For instance, to I can tell you truth and ask you kindly but firmly: do not believe the media propaganda!

But before that, a side-note for you: You can disagree with Hungary, you can disagree with FIDESZ or Jobbik. You can form whatever opinion you might have. After all we are living in a free and tolerant world, aren’t we? Under one condition:  to have some sort of idea of what you are saying. Otherwise, I can only consider you as a provoker. A bought one.

And now about the essence:

April 16^th – A day of Remembrance

“We do not consider the Holocaust as an affair of some far away country, but it is part of the Hungarian history. […] We were the slaughterers, but we were the victims as well; consequently, it is our affair” – said Zoltán Pokorni former Minister for Education.

 He was the one also, who in 2000, during the 1^st Orban-government (with the very same Prime minister we have today) proposed to legally set a day that will be a day of remembrance for the Hungarian Jews and all the Jewish victims of Holocaust.

Hungary, with this act, was one of the first countries in Europe to name such a day. While most of the countries, remember the date of freeing the ghettos, our day was set for the day, when the Hungarian Jewish Ghetto (Munkacs) opened its doors for the terror.

 Everybody knows about this day. It is in the news, in the papers, int eh minds and hearts! It is not censored or forgotten. We remember!

April 13^th – A few days before the Holocaust Remembrance Day

It was Sunday evening around 8 o’clock. The prime time on our primary national TV channel. They broadcasted the Schindler’s List.

April 9^th – a week before the Holocaust Remembrance Day

My boyfriend and I walked the streets of Budapest. My boyfriend is Israeli. Yet, he is happily coming to my country whenever he can. My friends love him. My family loves him. I love him, too (evidently). He is an Israeli Jew, I, a Christian Hungarian.

So the conclusion:

NO! We, the Hungarians, are not anti-Semitists! No, we are not! Even if all the news will broadcast the opposite, I will continue shouting out loud: NO, we are not! …and yes, we do remember…

 Or if you still think we are, then you might be right. But then we must be some very weird creatures: because then, as the news says, we are a country, where “Anti-Semitism is everywhere” but we have a day in schools, where children go visiting the Holocaust building as part of the official education curriculum, we watch Schindler’s List on our main weekend day and we date Jewish boys in our free times…

Yeah – This kind of anti-Semitists we are!