A Hungarian government minister expressed support for a leader who collaborated with the Nazis during the Holocaust. According to a report by Dov Gilhar on Kan, the Hungarian Minister of Construction and Transportation, János Lázár, spoke at a ceremony commemorating Hungary's leader during World War II, Miklós Horthy, and praised him.
Among other things, Lázár said in his speech: "He was an extraordinary head of state, a true Hungarian patriot and a heroic soldier, whom history may still not be able to fully appreciate, but undoubtedly will one day."
Horthy collaborated with the Germans and Italians as part of the Axis powers and was part of the fascist alliance that conquered Europe and perpetrated the murder of Jews within its territory. During his rule, hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews were murdered in the summer of 1944.
In recent years, Hungary has become a nationalist state under the leadership of Viktor Orbán. While the Westit distances itself from Hungary, Israel is considered a friend, and the relationship between Orbán and Netanyahu has strengthened.
Gilhar reported that the U.S. Ambassador to Budapest, David Pressman, responded to the Hungarian minister's remarks: "Miklós Horthy was complicit in the massacre of the Jewish population in Hungary during the Holocaust. The United States is concerned about the involvement of senior members of Orbán's government in efforts to rehabilitate and promote his cruel legacy."
In Israel, they have not yet responded to these statements.
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