Hungarian diplomat withdrawn over anti-Semitic concerns

(ANSA) - Rome, July 25 - The Foreign Ministry in Hungary said Friday that its nominee as ambassador to Rome has withdrawn over allegations of extreme anti-Semitism, including calling Jews "agents of Satan".
    Peter Szabo Szentmihalyi was denounced earlier this week by the United States-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which accuses him of making extremist statements.
    He had been scheduled to take up the post as Hungary's ambassador to Rome. The ADL had issued a statement urging Italy to prevent "a well-known anti-Semite" from taking a diplomatic post in Italy.
    The League said that Szentmihalyi had "a long history of anti-Semitic publications, in which he describes the Hungarian Jews as agents in the service of Satan".
    The World Jewish Congress also said that the Hungarian had written anti-Semitic texts.
    Italy's foreign ministry said Friday that it had not received any formal request from the League.