By, Petru Clej
1 min read
ByPetru Clej, Petru Clej
A former far-right Hungarian MP who was a rabid antisemite before discovering he was Jewish is making aliyah to Israel, where he wants to contribute to the fight against Jew-hate around the world.
In an interview with the Israeli daily Ma'ariv, Csanad Szegedi, 34, said he had submitted his emigration papers for himself and his family, wife and two children.
"Israel is an amazing country, and I believe that every Jew who lives in the diaspora seriously considers making aliyah," he said.
"The biggest gift for any Jew is the existence of the state of Israel."
Prior to 2012, when he discovered his Jewish roots, Mr Szegedi had been a leading member of Jobbik, one of the largest far-right parties in Central and Eastern Europe.
He reached the position of vice-president of the party, which he represented in the European Parliament.
Mr Szegedi then found out his maternal grandmother, Magdolna Klein, was Jewish and an Auschwitz survivor.
Having been a strident critic of Jews, Roma and other minorities, Mr Szegedi was then expelled from the party and, after a journey to rediscover his roots, converted to Judaism in 2013.
"Right now, I am acting in the arena that I am familiar with, Hungary and Europe, in order to raise awareness of the issue of antisemitism and to work for the betterment of Israel, as a sort of compensation for the past," he said.
"I have a lot of years of experience in politics and I would be happy to contribute my experience to Zionist organisations in Israel as well," Mr Szegedi added.
He also said he was looking forward to personal experiences in Israel.
"I will visit Jerusalem and the Western Wall, and of course, I will go out to eat real Israeli food, falafel and hummus."