One Hungarian minister is apologizing after the ultra-right government awarded prestigious state prizes to three known racists and antisemites, including a TV host who frequently engages in hate speech and slurs against Jews and Roma.

Ferenc Szaniszlo has been condemned by human rights groups for using his TV show to broadcast conspiracy theories about Jews and Israel, and compares minorities to monkeys.

Hungary also chose to honor:  Archaeologist Kornel Bakay who claims Jews organized the slave trade in the Middle Ages; and heavy metal singer Janos Petras of the band Karpatia which is actually banned in other countries due to lyrics calling for a ethnically-pure Hungary and expanding its borders with war.

Condemnation came quickly from the Israeli ambassador and the Council of Europe’s Human rights Commissioner.

Hungary’s Minister for Human Resources apologized for what he called "a bad decision".