Anti-Semitism in Hungary

Utolsó frissítés: 2026.06.04. — Szerző: Anti-Propaganda News Blog

The presence, forms, and socio-political context of antisemitism in Hungary—much like anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim discourses—present a complex picture. To understand this phenomenon, it is worth distinguishing between historical legacy, political instrumentalization, social attitudes, and the everyday sense of security of the local Jewish community.

The most important aspects of this topic and the specific sources that can be used for research are outlined below:

1. Social Attitudes and the Paradox of „Double Talk”

In Hungary, the nature of anti-Semitism exhibits a peculiar duality: while there is a high level of verbal and prejudicial expression, the number of physical attacks is notably low by European standards.

• Level of bias: According to domestic and international surveys (such as data from Medián or the ADL), a significant portion of Hungarian society (approx. 30–35%) is susceptible to traditional or modern anti-Semitic stereotypes (e.g., the exaggeration of Jewish influence in the financial world or the media).

• Political Communication and Codified Language: Open, biologically or religiously based anti-Semitism rarely appears in political discourse. Instead, modern populist rhetoric often employs coded narratives, conspiracy theories, and dogmas that, according to critics and researchers, are built on veiled anti-Semitic tropes (such as the „shadowy powers,” „global speculators,” or campaigns centered on George Soros).

2. The Government’s Zero-Tolerance Policy and Realpolitik

In addition to the overlapping narratives of domestic political campaigns, Hungarian government policy and diplomacy firmly advocate a pro-Israel and pro-Jewish stance.

• Zero tolerance: The government has officially declared a zero-tolerance policy toward anti-Semitism, tightened laws on hate speech and Holocaust denial, and is providing significant financial support for a Jewish cultural and religious renaissance (synagogue renovations, institutional maintenance).

• Close ties with Israel: Budapest maintains an extremely close strategic, diplomatic, and military partnership with Tel Aviv. In international forums, Hungarian diplomacy regularly vetoes EU or UN resolutions condemning Israel, and in domestic discourse, the defense of Judeo-Christian roots is the cornerstone of official identity policy.

3. Sense of security and everyday experiences

The security situation of the local Jewish community (which is the largest in Central Europe, numbering approximately 80,000 to 100,000 people) differs radically from that in Western Europe.

• Physical security: While in Western Europe (e.g., France, Germany) Jewish institutions and individuals are frequently subjected to violent, and in some cases armed, attacks—primarily due to the rise of radical Islamism and far-left anti-Israel sentiment—physical aggression is rare in Hungary. Members of the Jewish community can safely and openly wear their religious symbols in public.

• Verbal and online presence: The vast majority of these atrocities are limited to the online sphere (comment sections, social media), graffiti, vandalism at cemeteries, and verbal insults.

A comprehensive list of academic and research sources

If you need precise references for a more in-depth analysis of the topic, for academic research, or for writing an article, the following sources and reports provide the most reliable empirical basis:

1. Regular domestic monitoring reports

• TEV (Action and Protection Foundation)

  • Annual Reports on the Monitoring of Anti-Semitism (Hungary).

  • The TEV records anti-Semitic incidents (hate crimes, hate speech, vandalism) committed in Hungary on a monthly and annual basis, using a standardized methodology. This is the most accurate domestic statistical source for tracking physical and verbal atrocities.

• András Kovács – György Forrás-Kocsis (Median / TEV)

  • Anti-Semitic prejudice in contemporary Hungarian society. (Regular large-scale sociological surveys).

  • András Kovács, a professor at CEU and Hungary’s most renowned expert on the subject, has been working with his colleagues for decades to measure changes in anti-Semitic attitudes among the Hungarian population, quantifying the presence of cognitive, affective, and political anti-Semitism.

2. International comparative studies and indices

• FRA (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights)

  • Experiences and Perceptions of Antisemitism – Second/Third Survey on Discrimination and Hate Crimes Against Jews in the EU. Vienna.

  • The FRA’s large-scale survey, which directly interviews members of Jewish communities. It is a key source for comparing how Jews in Hungary assess their own sense of security and everyday anti-Semitism against trends in Western Europe (France, Germany, the UK).

• ADL (Anti-Defamation League)

  • ADL Global 100 Index: Survey of Attitudes Toward Jews in Over 100 Countries. New York.

  • An international index that measures the susceptibility of the population to anti-Semitic stereotypes on a country-by-country basis. It helps to place Hungary on the global and European map of prejudice.

3. Political Science and Discourse Analysis

• Political Capital Policy Research & Consulting Institute

  • Conspiracy theories and anti-Semitism in Hungary. Budapest.

  • The research institute’s analyses examine how modern populist political campaigns (e.g., scapegoating, the Soros narrative) intersect with traditional anti-Semitic tropes, and how this affects voter attitudes.

• András Kovács (ed.) (2020)

  • How Do We Talk About It? Anti-Semitism and Discourse in Contemporary Hungary. ELTE Faculty of Political Science and Communication – Institute of Sociology.

  • A collection of essays on the deconstruction of the linguistic structures of public discourse, the media, parliamentary speeches, and coded anti-Semitism.