December 1, 2018 — New York
AJC condemns the antisemitic attack directed at Andras Heisler, President of the Hungarian Jewish Federation (MAZSIHISZ), in the business magazine Figyelő. The story, claiming financial mismanagement in the development of a new Jewish museum, was featured on the magazine’s cover with a montage depicting a shaded photo of Heisler with money falling around him.
“Jews with money is a familiar, disgraceful antisemitic trope,” said Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs and a special envoy on combating antisemitism for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. “This attack on Hungary’s Jewish community is shameful, especially since Prime Minister Orbán has declared a ‘zero tolerance policy’ on antisemitism.”
MAZSIHISZ, an AJC international partner, has vigorously denied the charges made against it regarding the museum project, known as House of Co-Existence, which will portray the long history of Jewish life in Hungary.