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Soros foundation accuses Hungarian government campaign of antisemitism

November 22, 2023 at 08:13 am EST

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A political campaign by Hungary's government that vilifies the head of the European Commission and the son of financier George Soros is "propaganda deeply tainted by antisemitism", a spokesperson for Soros' foundation said on Wednesday.

A Hungarian government spokesman said accusations the campaign was antisemitic were "groundless".

The government of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban unveiled billboards on Monday vilifying European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, the first time it has made her a personal target in a political campaign.

The billboards, part of Orban's campaign for 2024 European parliamentary elections, depict Von der Leyen alongside Soros' son Alexander, who chairs his Open Society Foundations, and read: "Let's not dance to their tunes".

George Soros and his liberal views have been a perennial target of Orban's Fidesz party over the past decade. Soros is Jewish and his central role in Fidesz propaganda has led some critics to accuse the party of antisemitism, which it denies.

"Hungarian taxpayers' money is again being used to pay for political propaganda that is deeply tainted by antisemitism," a spokesperson for the Open Society Foundations said in a reply to Reuters questions.

"This is a well-worn tactic by the Hungarian government--creating a vague and imaginary foreign threat to distract voters from real domestic issues..."

Orban has said there is zero tolerance in Hungary for antisemitism, while at the same time repeatedly portraying Hungarian-born Soros as a puppet master plotting to undermine his rule, including by supporting mass immigration.

The veteran prime minister banned a pro-Palestinian rally in Budapest after Hamas' attack on Israel last month.

"It's never been about George Soros's identity as a Jew. It's about his ideology and his radical activism. It's about his determination to meddle in politics in Hungary and other countries of Europe," government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs wrote on his blog on Wednesday, rejecting the allegation of antisemitism.

Orban has said Hungary is the safest country in Europe for Jews due to his government's tough stance on illegal migration.

In 2018, Central European University, founded by Soros in 1991, moved the bulk of its courses out of Hungary to Vienna following a long struggle between Soros and Orban's government.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Mark Potter)

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George Soros

George Soros lived the Hungary’s Nazi occupation. With Jewish origin, he was forced to change his name in 1936 (György Schwartz). He escapes from communist regime in 1947, and he arrives in Great Britain. In London he follows the philosopher anti communist Karl Kopper’s courses at London School of Economics. In 1956 he emigrated to United States with one objective in mind: to win half million dollars. Mission completed, in 2011 his fortune amounted to $14,5 billion and he was the 46th richest man in the world, according to Forbes.

When he had arrived in New York he founded his first investment fund The Soros Fund, which will be the first stone of Soros’ financial empire. In 1973 he founded Quantum Fund with Jim Rogers. For ten years this fund will break all records in terms of gains.

The most of people know him during the great depression of 1992. He speculated on sterling’s fall, and he caused important fluctuations such as the British currency was forced out of the monetary system. This bet allowed him to earn a billion in one night and he was called as “the man who broken the Bank of England”.

He is also a philanthropist. With Open Society Institute which group together twenty foundations with a goal to defend human rights and promote democratic governance. George Soros describes himself as a “stateless head of state”. Since 1984, thanks to his foundations he distributed more than $ 8 billion to various humanitarian causes in 70 countries around the world.

The man, who wanted to be a philosopher, thanks to his foundation he participates in the transformation of society. The speculator has become the destroyer of excessive liberalism.

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Soros Fund Management LLC Soros Fund Management LLC Investment ManagersFinance Soros Fund Management LLC (SFM) is a privately-held investment management firm now structured as a family office, but which was once a hedge fund manager. The firm was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in New York City. SFM serves as principal investment adviser to a group of funds managed for the benefit of Soros family cl fsients.	Founder
Open Society Foundations Open Society Foundations Investment Trusts/Mutual FundsMiscellaneous The Open Society Institute works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. To achieve its mission, OSI seeks to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSI builds alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. OSI places a high priority on protecting and improving the lives of people in marginalized communities. Investor and philanthropist George Soros in 1993 created OSI as a private operating and grantmaking foundation to support his foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Those foundations were established, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. OSI has expanded the activities of the Soros foundations network to encompass the United States and more than 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Each Soros foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.	Founder

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