Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has addressed a letter to Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, expressing disappointment over his statements made about George Soros.
The prime minister's press chief also chimed in and said Hungary and its citizens are “deeply insulted” by the comments made by Lauder concerning the move from Budapest to Berlin of the Open Society Foundations.
During an interview with German newspaper Bild, Lauder expressed concern about the Berlin move saying he did not agree “with everything that US billionaire George Soros says or does,” but he considered the treatment of a man “who has done so much” in central European countries to spread democracy after the fall of communism to be unworthy.
“It is well known and obvious in Budapest that the reason for the Foundation’s move is that Hungary has introduced rules that extend transparency to organizations financed from abroad,” PM Orbán wrote in the letter.
“I would respectfully call your attention … to the fact that the Foundation and its founder bear personal responsibility for the growth of anti-Semitism in Europe. They have brought people to Europe — among migrants — whose political and religious views have dramatically increased the vulnerability of our Jewish communities. In contrast, Hungary and its government protects European Jewish communities when it prevents the uncontrolled entry of migrants into the European Union.
“Our policy has moral and theoretical reasons, and also serves the idea of Jewish-Christian coexistence, in which we continue to believe with conviction. For this we do not expect any recognition, or gratitude from the World Jewish Congress, of course,” the letter states.
Read the full letter here.