Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin told his Hungarian counterpart that he is no longer welcome in the Knesset next month, following Speaker of the Hungarian National Assemby László Kövér's participation in a memorial ceremony for a pro-Nazi author.

Kövér was scheduled to visit the Knesset in July for a ceremony honoring the 100th birthday of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat in Hungary who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. Rivlin wrote the Hungarian Speaker a letter on Sunday, saying that he was "appalled by the shocking news" of Kövér's participation in a memorial for writer Joszef Nyiro, who was a member of the Nazi-sympathizing fascist Arrow Cross party in Hungarian parliament during World War II.

László Kövér

"You chose to participate in this event and openly declare your solidarity with a person whose party, within the Government of Hungary, cooperated with the German Nazi murderers in realizing their program to annihilate the Jewish People," Rivlin wrote.

Reuven Rivlin

Rivlin added, "anyone who participates in such an event cannot possibly then take part in an event to  honor a man like Raoul Wallenberg, a beacon of humanity, who saved Jews, who is a symbol of the struggle against Nazi Germany and its collaborators, one of whom you chose to identify with and pay homage to."

Source: Jerusalem Post

Last Updated on Monday, 25 June 2012 06:23