Israel Retracts Criticism Over Hungary’s ‘Laughing Jew’ Billboards Of George Soros
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A statement by Israel’s envoy to Hungary denouncing a government campaign against Jewish-American billionaire George Soros was meant to address the resulting anti-Semitism not defend Soros, Israeli’s Foreign Ministry said.
“Israel deplores any expression of anti-Semitism in any country and stands with Jewish communities everywhere in confronting this hatred,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nachson said in a statement issued Sunday evening, which was labeled a “clarification.”
“This was the sole purpose of the statement issued by Israel’s ambassador to Hungary. In no way was the statement meant to delegitimize criticism of George Soros, who continuously undermines Israel’s democratically elected governments by funding organizations that defame the Jewish state and seek to deny it the right to defend itself,” the statement also said.
Jewish leaders in Hungary say the campaign against Soros, over his call for Hungary to allow migrants to enter the country, has stoked anti-Semitic feelings in the country.
Billboards posted nationwide showing a grinning Soros, who was born in Hungary, and the words “Let’s not allow Soros to have the last laugh.” Many of the billboards have been defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
