Jewish cemetery vandalized in Hungary
Jewish community leader says damage to graves in northeastern city of Gyongyos, including scattering of human remains, was 'unprecedented.'
Peter Weisz says the damage to the graves in the northeastern city of Gyongyos, including the scattering of human remains, was "unprecedented."
The office of Prime Minister Viktor Orban condemned the "barbaric deed" on Sunday and vowed to launch a program this year to renovate neglected cemeteries.
Weisz said a number of graves dating as far back as the late 1800s were of ancestors of some of the 80 current members of the recently re-established Jewish community in Gyongyos. Weisz said relations with other religious groups in the city of 30,000 people were "exemplary."
Exactly a year ago, a Jewish cemetery was vandalized in the Hungarian city of Tatabánya. Tombstones spray-painted with swastikas and writings reading "rotten Jews" and "there was never a Holocaust, but there will be one."
Members of the local Jewish community arrived at the cemetery in Tatabánya, located some 55 kilometers west of Budapest, to hold a memorial service and were horrified at the sight of the desecrated graves, and immediately notified the authorities.
In 2014, Hungary commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Holocaust, when 550,000 Hungarian Jews were killed.
Itay Blumenthal contributed to this report.
