Hungary ‘leading way to change EU’s attitude’ on Jerusalem capital stance

Hungary’s justice minister has said her country is “leading the way to change the attitude” in the EU’s stance on Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, while denying that her government used antisemitic tropes to target critic George Soros.

Judit Vargas said Hungary made “every effort to guarantee the life of the Jewish community” while lambasting the decisions elsewhere in Europe to ban non-stun slaughter of animals.

A member of the ruling right-wing cabinet, which has attacked Jewish philanthropist and critic Soros using themes of money and shadowy power, Vargas said antisemitism was “always a card played against Hungary”.

Blasting Europe’s “double standards” on Israel, she said Hungary was the only continental nation with diplomats in Jerusalem. 

“It shows Hungary is now leading the way to change the attitude in Europe towards Jerusalem,” she said.

On Soros, she said: “The accusation that the campaign was antisemitic was unfounded. We always said that if Soros was attacked because of his religion or origin, we would be the first to protect him.”