Israel Asks Hungary To Withdraw Journalism Award

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) – Israel’s ambassador says Hungary should withdraw a state journalism award given last week to a TV presenter whose station was fined in 2011 for his racist remarks against Gypsies and Jews.

Ambassador Ilan Mor said Monday in a statement that the distinction given to Ferenc Szaniszlo was given “to the wrong person for the very wrong reasons.”

Among other comments, Szaniszlo, a newspaper correspondent in Moscow in the 1980s, said Gypsies – or Roma – were monkeys and implied Jews and Roma were carrying out anti-Hungarian activities.

Minister of Human Resources Zoltan Balog said he was unaware of Szaniszlo’s remarks and regretted giving him the Mihaly Tancsis award, but said he did not have the power to take it back.