Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vowed to defend the country's Jews from anti-Semitism after an extreme-right MP made anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli remarks in parliament.
"No one in Hungary can be harmed because of their faith, convictions or origin," Orban told parliament a week after Marton Gyongyosi of the Jobbik party proposed drawing up a list of people "of Jewish origin (who) present a national security risk to Hungary."
Orban said Gyongyosi's remarks were "unworthy of Hungary" but stopped short of directly condemning Jobbik, Hungary's third largest party.
"We Hungarians will protect our Jewish compatriots" Orban said.
The opposition has often accused Orban's Fidesz party of appealing to Jobbik's voter base with populist and nationalistic policies.
At a rally in Budapest on Sunday, Attila Mesterhazy, leader of the largest opposition party, the Socialists, called on Fidesz to help "quarantine" Jobbik and on Orban to directly condemn Jobbik in parliament.
"Once and for all, Viktor Orban should with his own voice, decisively, categorically and clearly distance himself from and condemn Jobbik," Mesterhazy said.
In a reaction, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, President of the Conference of European Rabbis, said: "The Prime Minister’s comments come at a time of great uncertainty for the Jews of Hungary and an increasingly tense time for Jews across a continent where the far right are gaining in influence and political power. Mr Gyongyosi’s so called apology, will do nothing to ease the minds of those who simply want to live without fear of victimisation and hatred. He has disgraced the Hungarian people and should be immediately stripped of public office."