Hungary under fire as World Jewish Congress opens in Budapest

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) opened in Budapest with hundreds of representatives of worldwide Jewish communities attending, even as Hungary came under fire for rising anti-Semitism.

In a speech to some 500 delegates, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been accused of turning a blind eye to recent racist incidents, insisted that anti-Semitism was "unacceptable and intolerable".

"Hungary has a moral duty to have zero tolerance of anti-Semitism," he said.

"There is no freedom without human dignity. We won't tolerate anyone offending the dignity of any ethnic or religious community," he said, noting that the new constitution introduced last year provided protection and dignity for all minorities in Hungary.

The WJC reacted critically, however, to Orban's comments, expressing regret that he did not address recent incidents.