Hungary nearer to Israel than core EU countries, says Jewish leader
May 11th, 2018The Chairman of the main religious organisation of the Jewish religious community writes that Hungarian Jewry could play a mediating role in relations between Israel and Europe.
In his Népszava OpEd piece on the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of the Jewish state, András Heisler, Chairman of Mazsihisz, the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Faith Communities recalls that for decades under communism, Hungarian Jews found it difficult to keep in touch with Israel, but by now those relations are vivid and fruitful. He and other leading Mazsihisz members have planted 35 trees in Israel and another 35 in Budapest to mark the anniversary and ‘to leave a message for the future’. Nowadays, Heisler writes, East European countries entertain better relations with Israel than the core countries of the European Union. He believes that Hungary’s 100 thousand strong Jewish community can mediate between Hungary and Israel and also be a bridge between East and West.