NAZI HUNTERS WITHOUT LEADER

Some say Nazi hunting strengthens anti-Semitism.

For almost a month there has been no coordinator of Nazi hunters in Hungary, though Ephraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Israel promised he would find the successor to Ivan Beer. Mr Beer said the action to find the last survivors of Nazis in Hungary had not been stopped but the president of the Hungarian Holocaust Memorial Foundation said he left the Last Chance Operation on July 26 though he only suspended his mission because Attila Péterfalvi, ombudsman of personality data protection had expressed his concern over Hungarian data sent to Israel. The historian said it was mainly another historian, László Karsai who opposed the action, perhaps out of jealousy. Mr Karsai said the Nazi hunting would just strengthen anti-Semitism. The Hungarian press, ranging from liberal Élet és Irodalom to conservative Magyar Demokrata has condemned the Last Chance Operation and the ’blood-money’ of 10 000 euros to be paid for useful informations.

Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó