Hungary: Jewish Journalist, “Proudly Anti-Semitic” Writing March 28, 2008

So yeah this is disgusting.

Zsolt Bayer, a journalist of self-described Jewish descent, has published a piece Hungary’s Free Democrats party describes as “proudly anti-Semitic” in the conservative Hungarian daily newspaper Magyar Hirlap, saying that Hungarian Jewish journalists “are vilifying the Arabs and [main opposition] Fidesz, and us all. Because they hate us more than we hate them… their mere existence justifies anti-Semitism.”

I hate Islamophobia wholeheartedly, as all observant Jews should — as it is written, “can one love the Creator and not love His creations?” The Mishnah in Sanhedrin (4:5) clearly forbids all forms of racial and ethnic hatred for Jews, and the Ramba”m and his son R’ Avraham both speak of Islam as being non-idolatrous and a kosher form of non-Jewish worship. To say that vilification of Arabs is wrong is a good call by all accounts.

But to say Jewish journalists are “urinating into the national swimming pool,” and “sully the reputation of Hungary”? When he says Jewish journalists are vilifying “us all” — he clearly shows: his Jewish ancestry is no bar to his making inflammatory statements which could have far-reaching ramifications for all Jews in the media industry in Hungary.

The leader of Hungary’s Conservative Party called Bayer’s statements “bewildering, revolting and scandalous” and condemned the article, saying:

“Magyar Hirlap has stepped beyond a line which no one should cross.”

Mr. Bayer also reportedly “openly declares himself an anti-Semite” according to Hungary’s MTI.

Magyar Hirlap has now, G-d willing, justifiedly lost a “senior contributor”. Good riddance to bad rubbish.