Hungary Honors Iran's Ahmadinejad, Jewish Groups Outraged

Jewish groups are outraged that a Hungarian university would invite "openly antisemitic" former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak at an event this week and are asking why he would be given the opportunity to spread his rhetoric.

Two Hungarian Jewish congregations, a Jewish advocacy group, and the Israeli embassy are the latest to protest after Budapest-based Ludovika University of Public Service invited Ahmadinejad to an academic meeting, reports The Times of Israel.

The former leader has said that Israel will be "wiped off the map" and called the Holocaust a "myth."

Iran's ILNA news agency reports that Ahmadinejad was in Hungary to speak and participate in a meeting on environmental issues from May 6-10.

He was Iran's president from 2005-2013 and remains a member of a board advising leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a letter, the congregations urged the university to "consider whether it wishes to give Ahmadinejad the opportunity to spread his dangerous and poisonous ideas within the walls of the institution."

Further, Hungary's main Jewish organization has condemned the school's invitation, calling on the university to explain and apologize to the country's Jewish community, calling the visit a "direct contradiction to the principle of zero tolerance against antisemitism proclaimed by the Hungarian government."

The Israeli embassy called Ahmadinejad's visit a "grave insult" that "tramples on the memory" of the 600,000 Hungarian Jews murdered during the Holocaust.

Hungary is the home of central Europe's largest Jewish community, with about 100,000 members.

The university did not respond to requests for comment, but Hungary's foreign ministry said the government doesn't interfere in university programs and "has not received the former Iranian president."

Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have had close relations in the past.

But Hungary’s growing ties with Iran, and also with Iran allies China and Russia, have befuddled and worried Netanyahu’s government.

In February, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó was in Tehran to sign a bilateral agreement with Iran, despite Israel identifying Iran as its main enemy.

The bilateral agreement between Hungary and Iran provides for top-level economic and technical assistance between the two nations.

U.S. Jewish groups and leaders, including Zionist Organization of America President Morton Klein, were quick to condemn the new Hungary-Iran Agreement.

"For Hungary, whose always been a strong supporter to Israel, it's both shocking and disgraceful," Klein told Newsmax, calling for the deal to be rescinded.

"No civilized nation on earth should be dealing with Iran and shouldn't be increasing the wealth of Iran. It endangers America, Israel, Europe, and South America."

The U.S. has stated that Iran has been behind terror groups across the Mid-East that have made over 200 attacks on U.S. military facilities and service personnel since the Oct. 7 war broke out last year.

Last month, Iran directly attacked Israel, launching at least 300 missiles and drones at targets within the Jewish state.

On Thursday, Chinese President Xi was welcomed by Prime Minister Orban in Budapest, as Hungary has become China’s closest European partner.

Xi wrote in the daily Magyar Nemzet on Wednesday that China had "developed deep friendships" in Budapest and that Hungary was "the number one target in the central eastern European region for Chinese investment."