IN 2000 - A B'nai B'rith Budapest Páholy

148 ANTI-SEMITIC DISCOURSE IN HUNGARY IN 2000which is always to discredit the opponent/enemy. The word ‘liberal’ thusbecomes a dirty word, similar in meaning to (stinking) Jew.István Csurka is so intent on proving that ‘leftist,’ liberal,’ and ‘Jew’ mean thesame thing that he even points out that (leading Jewish communist party ideologist)József Révai’s granddaughter had a child by Gábor Demszky, the SZDSZ 7 mayorof Budapest. According to him, the Muscovite Jewish writers (Béla Illés andothers), these “hacks and traitors,” came to Hungary with the Red Army in 1945.In the extreme right-wing press, the post-1945 communist regimes appear asa single, monolithic unit. No difference is made between Mátyás Rákosi 8 andJános Kádár 9 , nor is it ever mentioned that the Kádár regime had undergonechanges over the years. It is in this spirit that György Tímár, lawyer and Parliamentarydeputy of the FGKP 10 , speaks about Jews who had joined the ÁVÓ(State Security Organs) in 1945 and left it repentant in 1990, “wearing a skullcap.”11 For Csurka, ancestry is so important, he never misses an opportunity tomention the Jewish origin of Béla Kun and György Aczél, and in speaking aboutJános Kádár he notes that while he was not Jewish, “… his origins are lost in thestale darkness of the servant’s room of the Csermanek household in Fiume.” 12In addition, Aczél is an emblematic figure in Csurka’s world, both as the absolutemaster of Kádárist cultural policy and supposed father figure to the Free Democrats.Csurka speaks about writers who “support the Free Democrats as Jews.” 13According to Zsolt Bayer, the Free Democrats is the only party which keepstrack of the racial and religious affiliation of its membership. 14Free Democrats supporters, i.e., Jewish, left-wing liberals are traitors whofor a price slander Hungary abroad by calling it anti-Semitic, claims journalistIstván Lovas. 15Sometimes Csurka’s terminology clearly follows that of the well-known(populist) writer László Németh. 16 In one of his articles, Csurka refers to two7 SZDSZ, the Alliance of Free Democrats is the liberal party in opposition in the Parliament.8 Mátyás Rákosi (1892-1971), Hungarian Communist leader between 1940-1956.9 János Kádár (1912-1989), Hungarian Communist leader between 1956-1989.10 FGKP, the Smallholders’ Party is the second biggest party of the coalition government.11 In Magyar Demokrata, March 30, 2000.12 In Népszava, May 20, 2000. Csermanek was Kádár’s original name.13 Ibid.14 In Vasárnapi újság, 23 July 2000.15 In Magyar Demokrata, September 21, 2000.16 László Németh (1901-1975).