Political Manipulation of the Eichmann Trial in Kádár-Era Hungary

The 1961 Eichmann trial in Jerusalem marked a turning point for the Kádár regime, which had sought to remain silent about the Holocaust. Communist ideology sought to approach the recent genocide without reference to religion. At the Central Committee meeting of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party (MSZMP) in July 1960, János Kádár assessed the situation as follows: “It is not right to make these wretched, fascist affairs solely a Jewish issue. If we take action on this matter, the decisive factor must be that Eichmann murdered thousands of Hungarian citizens. This line must be emphasized; we must not make this a ‘Jewish issue.’ Eichmann did not murder only Jews; others were there as well. This is not a Jewish issue; it is a matter of fascism and anti-fascism.”