Hungarian president joins Auschwitz March of the Living

Former Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv Israel Meir Lau (L) with President of Hungary Janos Ader (C) and First Lady Anita Herczegh (R). Photo: PAP/Jacek Bednarczyk

This year's event was focused on the liquidation of Hungary's Jews 70 years ago, and some of yesterday's participants followed the same train route that their doomed forebears had taken.

“In order to understand the tragedy of the year 1944, we must look into our conscience,” Ader reflected.

“Even if we know that the introduction of the Final Solution was a demonic plan of the German occupiers, the source of our pain is that the Hungarian state did not oppose it, but rather cooperated in its implementation.

“The authorities collaborated with those who planned the murder of our fellow citizens,” he affirmed, adding that “there is no forgiveness for a nation that turns against its own citizens.”

Ader's participation comes in the same month that Hungary's far-right party Jobbik won a 20 percent share of the vote in the country's general election.

Hungarian Jewish groups have recently claimed that governing party Fidesz, which Ader rose to power in, had diminished the role played by Hungarian authorities in the deaths of about 550,000 Jews.

The march on Monday afternoon traversed the distance between the two most notorious parts of the former death camp complex, Auschwitz and Birkenau.

Other prominent participants included Israel Meir Lau, former Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv.

It is estimated that 1.1 million Jews were killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau, as well as 70,000 ethnic Poles, 25,000 Roma and 15,000 other prisoners of war, including Russians. (nh)

Source: PAP