File this under “poetic justice.” A Hungarian politician known for his antisemitic views made a pretty shocking discovery recently: He is actually a Jew himself.
Csanad Szegedi was a rising star in Hungary’s extremely right-wing Jobbik Party, known for his harsh views and incendiary comments regarding the Jewish people. On one occasion, he accused Jews of “buying up” the country of Hungary, and complained about the “Jewishness” of the political elite in his country. He also made claims that Jews were vandalizing national symbols, reports Newser . But that’s all over for Szegedi now that he himself is a Jew (or rather, he’s always been a Jew, he only just now knows it).
Despite his reputation as an extreme nationalist, Szegedi clarified for the record personally, following weeks of internet speculation. He revealed that his grandparents on his mother’s side were, in fact, Jews. Under Jewish law, that makes him one too, whether or not he practices the faith himself (he doesn’t).
Making matters a bit more complicated for his political future, Szegedi’s grandmother was an Auschwitz survivor and his grandfather was a veteran of forced labor camps (you can’t exactly turn your back on that ). Since the confirmation, Szegedi has become a total outcast within the Jobbik political party, and his career is circling the drain. He has also declined to be interviewed, according to the Associated Press.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for Szegedi? A recording has popped up catching Szegedi offering money to someone who was threatening to expose his Jewish heritage. He says he didn’t know about it until that point. In any case, Szegedi resigned all party positions and turned in his Jobbik membership card. Jobbik apparently wasn’t satisfied with that and asked him to sacrifice his seat in European Parliament as well. Though his future is unknown, we’re guessing that Szegedi’s perspectives pretty much held appeal exclusively within nationalistic circles and that he likely won’t be able to get his foot in the door anywhere else for quite some time.
A cautionary tale for all budding antisemites: Sign up for Ancestry.com before you take such an extreme political position.
