EJC President Dr Moshe Kantor was interviewed by the the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (MAZSIHISZ) on his visit to the country where he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Minister for European Affairs and Envoy for Combating Antisemitism János Bóka and members of the local Jewish community.
“Dr. Moshe Kantor, the recently re-elected President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), is on an official visit to Hungary. He met with Minister János Bóka yesterday, held talks with the Mazsihisz leadership today, and will meet Prime Minister Viktor Orbán this evening. We interviewed the President during his visit to Budapest.
Can you share publicly what you discussed yesterday with János Bóka, Minister for EU Affairs and government coordinator for the fight against antisemitism? Yes, publicly. We came to Hungary specifically to visit the Hungarian Jewish community and meet with politicians, including Mr Bóka. Essentially, the agenda of yesterday’s meeting was the same as that of today’s discussion with the Mazsihisz leadership. The focus was: how do we organise the future of the Hungarian Jewish community so that it can live safely and prosper for as long as possible? Not just in the short term, but in strategic terms.
What specific assistance can you provide to support Minister Bóka’s work at the EJC? We have already done a great deal for the security of the Hungarian Jewish community through the Security and Crisis Centre, an organisation I established around 15 years ago, which now exists in most European countries, including Hungary. This concerns the physical security of Jews and all the professional technologies related to this issue. We discussed with Minister Bóka how to ensure strategic protection against radicalised young people who are currently outside all official surveillance and control. Their radicalisation is one of the biggest threats we see today. We are preparing to mobilise all the resources at our disposal to address this.
What was the central topic of the discussion with the Mazsihisz leadership? We focused on the issues most important to the Jewish community in Hungary. I greatly appreciate that this leadership concentrates on strategic matters such as healthcare, education, and identity. They are not focused on political issues, but on the growth, well-being, and survival of the community in this complex and constantly changing world.
What topics will you raise at your planned meeting with Viktor Orbán tonight? The most important thing for us is to protect the interests of the Jewish community in Hungary. This is the main reason for my visit. I am pleased that the Jewish community can articulate its main problems clearly and precisely. We will also discuss with the Hungarian Prime Minister the security and development priorities of the Hungarian Jewish community.”
