Numerous reports have appeared about a week ago in major Israeli media outlets about the growing number of Hungarian Jews making aliyah as a result of increase in antisemitism. These news would come as a shock, only they are based on misinformation.
Leading Israeli news outlets like Arutz Sheva, United With Israel and Jewish News Syndicate have all reported headlines on July 27th stating: “Hungarian Jews flee to Israel because of growing anti-Semitism” and “Growing number of Jews arrive to Israel as anti-Semitism increases by 13%”.
The United With Israel article even highlights anti-Semitism as the core cause of more Hungarian Jews finding new home in the Holy Land.
What is interesting is, that the article is based on the testimony of two new immigrants, Éva Sándor Horvath, who are the first Hungarian ‘olim’ of the Keren L’Yedidut organization. They base their decision on the annual anti-Semitism report of the Moshe Kantor Institute, however, that report says nothing about anti-Semitism trends in Hungary.
The Kantor Institute did not want to comment on the decision of the two new immigrants being based on their report.
Mr. and Mrs. Horvath said, that they see the growth in anti-Semitism on the streets and it is fueled by the fact, that the anti-Semitic Jobbik party became member of the parliament in 2006. They said, that „the situation is similar to that of the 1930s”.
„I personally do not fear on the streets, but seeing the trends and how they develop, we are sure that trends will breed animosity”
– said Sandor, but he did not specify what he meant exactly.
The report of the Action and Protection Foundation, an organization, that monitors anti-Semitic trends, hate speech and crime in Hungary specifically, actually shows decline in anti-Semitism, opposite to European tendencies.
As opposed to the European trends, anti-Semitic incidents show massive decline in 2018.
Keren L’Yedidut grows its conclusion based on the fact that anti-Semitism is on the rise the world over and it is one of the major causes of growth of ‘aliyah’. Keren L’Yedidut is an organization, that has helped over 750 thousand people in settling in Israel for over 20 years. The organization also said, that they will focus their attention now towards eastern-Europe, Éva and Sandor are the first of their Hungarian immigrants but many will follow.