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Anti-Semitic Hungarian Leader Discovers Jewish Background After Blackmail Plot

Csanad Szegedi was making a name for himself in Hungary. He was an icon within Hungary's largest far-right political organization, the Jobbik party, he was a founding member of the Hungarian Guard, and he was serving his country in the European Parliament. He was a known anti-Semitic but given the Jobbik's ultra-nationalist undertones, this wasn't at odds with his party, his supporters, nor his public persona.

Csanad Szegedi Hungary
AP

That was until it was discovered that he himself was Jewish.

A 2010 meeting between Szegedi and a convicted felon lies at the heart of this startling admission, reports the AP. The conversation, which was recorded, depicts the felon telling Szegedi of information he has become privy to showing Szegedi is in fact a Jew. Szegedi acts surprised, then begins offering the felon money and a possible EU job if he hushes up. He didn't, the tape was released, and Szegedi faced pressure from internet rumors.

In June Szegedi was forced to acknowledge his heritage, explaining that his grandparents on his mother's side were Jewish, making him Jewish, according to Jewish law. In fact, his grandmother survived Auschwitz and his father survived labor camps. Now, Szegedi has resigned from all his party positions, though he still wants to retain his seat in the EP, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The Jobbik party, doesn't agree. Steering away from his newly discovered background, the party cited his attempts at bribing the felon as the reason for their support in him stepping down from his EP seat. He

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In early August, Szegedi met with Rabbi Slomo Koves, of Hungary's Orthodox Chabad-Lubavitch community. During the meeting, Szegedi apologized for any comments he had made that offended the Jewish community, and said he planned on visiting Auschwitz to pay his respects, reports NPR

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