HOLOCAUST DENIAL - HOLOCAUST COMMEMORATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BUDAPEST 000309

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/CE JAMIE LAMORE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2014
TAGS: PGOV PINR PHUM PREL SOCI HU
SUBJECT: HOLOCAUST DENIAL - HOLOCAUST COMMEMORATION

Classified By: Acting P/E Counselor Jon Martinson, reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (U) Summary. As the far-right Magyar Garda crossed the
line into holocaust denial, Budapest observed the 60th
anniversary of the holocaust. The "March of the Living"
event the evening of April 19, attended by new Prime Minister
Gordon Bajnai, as well as the Charge and Parliamentarians
across the political spectrum, provided a strong
counter-message that the holocaust must never be forgotten.
Parliamentarians responded with strong words of condemnation
for the Magyar Garda (MG) and far-right Jobbik party during
the April 20 plenary session. With European Parliamentary
elections on the horizon in June, expect increased Socialist
(MSzP) and Free Democrat (SzDSz) criticism of opposition
political parties for courting the far-right. End summary.



2. (U) As a lead-in to Budapest events for Holocaust
Remembrance Day, 200 members of the extreme-right Magyar
Garda movement assembled in Budapest on April 18. Speaking
to the group, Magyar Garda leader Istvan Dosa said "nothing
about the holocaust is true," and then, in protest against
"Zionist world power," led the participants in a march to the
German Embassy. Carrying placards in Hungarian and German -
some reading "the truth will make you free, strike back with
the Third Reich, enough of the holocaust dogma" - while
singing Nazi Germany's anthem, the "Horst Wessel," the group
unsuccessfully attempted to present a petition to a German
Embassy representative.


3. (U) In stark contrast, on Sunday, April 19, about 10,000
participants, including newly elected Prime Minister Gordon
Bajnai, Head of Parliament's Human Rights Committee and
Fidesz member, Zoltan Balogh, former Prime Minister Peter
Boross, and Charge Levine, joined in the torchlight "March of
the Living" to remember the 600,000 Hungarian victims of the
holocaust. In a separate program earlier in the day, several
thousand attended a program in front of the "Terror Haz"
(Terror House) museum in Budapest, to commemorate Nazi
victims.


4. (U) In response to the Magyar Garda demonstration, MSzP
faction leader Ildiko Lendvai, SzDSz caucus leader Peter
Gusztos and Education Minister Istvan Hiller made reference
to the Magyar Garda event during speeches in Parliament on
April 20. Lendvai, calling the MG demonstration "shameful,"
said the MG are neither radicals nor right-wing politicians,
"they are simply Nazis," noting that such an event could not
happen in any other European country without sanctions. In
his speech, Gusztos said "political terrorism exists in
Hungary - and it is Jobbik." He said the statements of Dosa
and the words on the placards went beyond the acceptable
boundary of free speech, using "the distorted version of the
Auschwitz slogan 'die arbeit macht frei'." Gusztos added
that it is now clear that Jobbik is a neo-Nazi party, and "it
is a shame to see this 60 years after the holocaust," He
called on all political forces to isolate Jobbik. Minister
Hiller took the floor on behalf of the Government, and
condemning the Nazi demonstration, said he proposes that the
Parliamentary parties pass a law as soon as possible to
punish those who deny the holocaust, just as such laws exist
in Austria and Germany.


5. (C) Comment. Unlike Germany and Austria, Hungary has no
law that would punish those who deny the holocaust. Although
the Government made several attempts in the past to modify
the legal code or change the constitution to restrict such
activities, the opposition Fidesz party, President Solyom,
and the Constitutional Court have opposed such measures as a
restriction on the right of free speech and the right of
assembly. While the Magyar Garda has played the anti-Semitic
card in the past, for much of its two year existence its
focus has been on "gypsy crime." However, the far-right
Jobbik party, which established Magyar Garda, has recently
raised the level of its anti-Semitic rhetoric. In
particular, Krisztina Morvai, the party's leading candidate
for the June European Parliamentary elections accused the
Israeli government of genocide in the Gaza strip. Also three
weeks ago, she began a public speech by raising a sling-shot
she had received from the "Palestinian freedom fighters,"
vowing to continue the fight in Hungary against those who
attempt to steal the country," a veiled reference to Jewish
investors.


6. (C) Comment continued. Fidesz continues to walk a fine
line between reaching out to right-wing voters while not
supporting the radical rhetoric. As Political Capital
analyst Christian Szabados recently told PolOff, Fidesz's
greatest fear is Jobbik garnering 4.9 percent in the upcoming
elections, not enough to pass the five percent threshold for
representation in parliament, but enough to seriously hurt

BUDAPEST 00000309 002 OF 002


Fidesz candidates. End comment.
Levine