Unusually the 14th Plenary Session of the World Jewish Congress, normally held in Jerusalem or New York, was hosted in Budapest. The decision to hold in Hungary was at the invitation of the local Jewish community that feels under siege from the virulently anti-Semitic Hungarian right wing.
The Board delegation was led by President Vivian Wineman and consisted of ten Deputies, the London-residing President of the European Jewish Congress Moshe Kantor and staff member Tzippy Railly. The tone of the meeting was set on Saturday May 3 when the Intercontinental Hotel, that overlooks the Danube and the Hungarian Parliament, was surrounded by right-wing demonstrators chanting anti-Semitic slogans. Fears of violence led the whole downtown area of Budapest to be cordoned off in a massive security operation designed to keep the delegates from 110 countries – from Israel to Swaziland – safe.
I arrived on the evening of May 4 just in time for the opening dinner that was addressed by the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Chaos reigned over the seating plan in the vast banqueting hall and with the help of fellow deputy Danny Handler I found myself on a table with the Chief Rabbi elect Ephraim Mirvis and the British Ambassador to Hungary. It was a fraught evening that was meant to be a celebration of Jewish Communal Life around the world.
I arrived on the evening of May 4 just in time for the opening dinner that was addressed by the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Chaos reigned over the seating plan in the vast banqueting hall and with the help of fellow deputy Danny Handler I found myself on a table with the Chief Rabbi elect Ephraim Mirvis and the British Ambassador to Hungary. It was a fraught evening that was meant to be a celebration of Jewish Communal Life around the world.
But there was huge disappointment with the Orban address, its weak condemnation of ant-Semitism and its lacklustre reaction to the rise of the right wing party Jobbik Party. Among other things Jobbik has openly put down a motion (still not withdrawn) in the Hungarian Parliament asking for the names of people of ‘Jewish origin’ who it claims represent a national security risk for Hungary.
Orban’s address noted the contribution of the Jews to Hungarian history and the suffering of the Shoah. But it did little to address current anti-Semitism or to outline policies to combat the behaviour. The tragic history of Hungarian Jewry was outlined by WJC president Ronald Lauder (son of Estee) who directly demanded legislation to combat the right wing, as well as for more Holocaust education. His views were echoed by Israeli Cabinet member Silvan Shalom and German Foreign Minister Dr Guido Westerwelle. The latter delivered a brilliant address on the morning of May 6.
Orban’s address noted the contribution of the Jews to Hungarian history and the suffering of the Shoah. But it did little to address current anti-Semitism or to outline policies to combat the behaviour. The tragic history of Hungarian Jewry was outlined by WJC president Ronald Lauder (son of Estee) who directly demanded legislation to combat the right wing, as well as for more Holocaust education. His views were echoed by Israeli Cabinet member Silvan Shalom and German Foreign Minister Dr Guido Westerwelle. The latter delivered a brilliant address on the morning of May 6.
The contrast between German condemnation of right wing movements across Europe, his unquestioning support for the State of Israel, and his advocacy of tough laws to combat anti-Semitism, and the supine words of Orban could not have been greater.
In many ways these first sessions, dealing with right wing movements from Jobbik in Hungary, to Golden Dawn in Greece, were the strongest of the whole WJC session. Anyone who believes that anti-Semitism and the rise of right-wing demagoguery has been exaggerated should have listened to the first hand evidence from the leaders of the Hungarian and Greek communities and their emotional appeals for support amid violence, fire-bombing and general discrimination. In many countries economic dislocation has joined historical Christian anti-Semitism to create a toxic mix. But the causes vary from nation to nation, with anti-Semitism in Sweden largely fomented by Muslim immigrants.
On Monday afternoon (May 6) I took a walk along the Danube to view the famous ‘memorial of the shoes’ commemorating those Hungarians murdered and dumped in the river by the Nazis. As I strolled in the late afternoon sunshine a young man tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if I was at the WJC and what was happening. When I asked him why he was interested he said it was because he was a Hungarian Jew, who had lost his grandparents in the Shoah.
But he was deeply disturbed his father, a distinguished economist working in government, had been fired for no reason other than he was not wanted because he was Jewish. The young man, studying for a Masters in economics, was fearful for his own future amid right-wing rhetoric and violence and was considering moving to the UK as soon as his studies were finished.
The core business of the WJC were the quadrennial elections. All delegates had votes but most of the senior jobs were settled before the Congress and in the corridors ahead of the meeting. Lauder, the main financier of the WJC and of a string of wonderful Jewish schools across emerging Europe, was re-elected unopposed as President. Baron David de Rothschild (who was not there) was elected to the number two job. There was a dispute over leadership of the Policy Council and it was resolved with a joint chairmanship for Moshe Kantor and Mervyn Smith (a veteran South African civil rights campaigner) elected jointly.
The main criticism will be that the stranglehold of an old guard, many of them in their 60s and 70s, has not been broken and the leadership remains a closed shop. However, three younger members were elected to the Policy Council and one co-opted. They join the ‘vice chairmen’ of the ten largest communities that includes our own president Vivian Wineman.
The other major debate was on the Middle East with the BBC’s Tim Sebastian in the chair and a high level panel including the European Union’s Helga Schmid; Israeli think tank boss Benny Dagan; Japan’s special envoy for the MidEast Yukata Iimura and the US’s special MidEast envoy David Hale. The big themes were the need to revive the peace process; the settlement issue and the strategic dangers in the region stemming from the Syrian conflict and the Arab Spring. The fear of a region wide conflagration bringing in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel was referred to by several people.
Another important presentation was on Justice for Jews from Arab Countries during which a short presentation was made by Edwin Shuker, one of the pioneers of the original work in this area, and vice-chairman of the Board’s International Division.
There are many criticisms that can be made of the WJC. These include the age profile of the some of the leading lights, the flawed democracy, the under-representation of key communities such as Israel and the US – both of which had very youthful and lively delegations.
But it was nevertheless exciting to see communities from every corner of the world come together and discuss common interests in the corridors, over meals and elsewhere. For me it was all worth it for the insights into the new European anti-Semitism and the inspiration of hearing Chief Rabbi-elect Mirvis on the international stage for the first time in an inspiring, Taldmudic heavy and amusing address. The Hungarian hospitality and food, including delicious roast goose and the wonderful Hungarian pastries, served with each meal, was quite nice too.
On Monday afternoon (May 6) I took a walk along the Danube to view the famous ‘memorial of the shoes’ commemorating those Hungarians murdered and dumped in the river by the Nazis. As I strolled in the late afternoon sunshine a young man tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if I was at the WJC and what was happening. When I asked him why he was interested he said it was because he was a Hungarian Jew, who had lost his grandparents in the Shoah.
But he was deeply disturbed his father, a distinguished economist working in government, had been fired for no reason other than he was not wanted because he was Jewish. The young man, studying for a Masters in economics, was fearful for his own future amid right-wing rhetoric and violence and was considering moving to the UK as soon as his studies were finished.
The core business of the WJC were the quadrennial elections. All delegates had votes but most of the senior jobs were settled before the Congress and in the corridors ahead of the meeting. Lauder, the main financier of the WJC and of a string of wonderful Jewish schools across emerging Europe, was re-elected unopposed as President. Baron David de Rothschild (who was not there) was elected to the number two job. There was a dispute over leadership of the Policy Council and it was resolved with a joint chairmanship for Moshe Kantor and Mervyn Smith (a veteran South African civil rights campaigner) elected jointly.
The main criticism will be that the stranglehold of an old guard, many of them in their 60s and 70s, has not been broken and the leadership remains a closed shop. However, three younger members were elected to the Policy Council and one co-opted. They join the ‘vice chairmen’ of the ten largest communities that includes our own president Vivian Wineman.
The other major debate was on the Middle East with the BBC’s Tim Sebastian in the chair and a high level panel including the European Union’s Helga Schmid; Israeli think tank boss Benny Dagan; Japan’s special envoy for the MidEast Yukata Iimura and the US’s special MidEast envoy David Hale. The big themes were the need to revive the peace process; the settlement issue and the strategic dangers in the region stemming from the Syrian conflict and the Arab Spring. The fear of a region wide conflagration bringing in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel was referred to by several people.
Another important presentation was on Justice for Jews from Arab Countries during which a short presentation was made by Edwin Shuker, one of the pioneers of the original work in this area, and vice-chairman of the Board’s International Division.
There are many criticisms that can be made of the WJC. These include the age profile of the some of the leading lights, the flawed democracy, the under-representation of key communities such as Israel and the US – both of which had very youthful and lively delegations.
But it was nevertheless exciting to see communities from every corner of the world come together and discuss common interests in the corridors, over meals and elsewhere. For me it was all worth it for the insights into the new European anti-Semitism and the inspiration of hearing Chief Rabbi-elect Mirvis on the international stage for the first time in an inspiring, Taldmudic heavy and amusing address. The Hungarian hospitality and food, including delicious roast goose and the wonderful Hungarian pastries, served with each meal, was quite nice too.
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