At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Hungary Tamás Sulyok, the Israeli Head of State Isaac Herzog arrived in Hungary on 18 February to discuss the future of bilateral relations and current international challenges.
In a press statement following the meeting, Tamás Sulyok said: ‘I am convinced that a strong Israel is indispensable not only for the security of the Middle East but also for Europe, for the protection of European Jewry and the fight against antisemitism.’
‘Hungary will continue to stand up for Israel’s right to self-defence and is committed to zero tolerance against antisemitism’
The Hungarian head of state underlined that Hungary condemns, as it did before, the brutal terrorist attack and military aggression launched by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023, the inhuman treatment of hostages, and the use of civilians as human shields. Tamás Sulyok also confirmed that Hungary will continue to stand up for Israel’s right to self-defence and is committed to zero tolerance against antisemitism.
President of the State of Israel Isaac Herzog thanked Hungary for its staunch support after the International Criminal Court ruling against Israel and for its support since the terrorist attack of 7 October 2023.
‘These are the moments when true friendship is revealed’, the Israeli Head of State said.
Earlier, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó called the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister of Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes ‘shameful’ and ‘absurd’. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán invited Benjamin Netanyahu to Hungary and said he would guarantee that the ICC verdict would not have any effect in Hungary and that ‘we will not follow’ it.
Tamás Sulyok Was Invited to Israel
After the meeting of the heads of state, Isaac Herzog thanked Tamás Sulyok and the Hungarian government for taking action against antisemitism, which was one of the key tasks of the Hungarian EU Presidency. He also expressed his appreciation for Hungary’s refusal to be drawn into the cycle of anti-Zionism, anti-Israel and antisemitism that is ‘flooding the world’. The two Presidents agreed that national sovereignty, the protection of borders, and the preservation of stability are of paramount importance.
Herzog recalled that the relationship between the Jewish and the Hungarian people goes a long way, that Hungarian Jewry has a great historical past, and that many of its members live in Israel today.
The Hungarian President emphasized that the dialogue between the two states is ongoing, and there are no problematic or open issues. Therefore, strategic cooperation in research and development, the defence industry, education and culture can be further deepened.
Isaac Herzog invited Tamás Sulyok to Israel, which the Hungarian head of state accepted.
Viktor Orbán Also Welcomed Isaac Herzog
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also received Herzog at his office, where, according to the Prime Minister’s Press Office, they had a working lunch to discuss current issues of the changing world order and peace and stability in the Middle East. In economic cooperation between Hungary and Israel, the two sides welcomed the dynamic development of relations. At the meeting, Orbán reaffirmed Hungary’s recognition of Israel’s right to self-defence.
Isaac Herzog was accompanied on his visit to Hungary by the family of Israeli Hungarian citizen Omri Miran, who has been brutally detained by terrorists in Gaza for more than 500 days, and the family of Sgt 1st Class (res) Malkia Gross who died defending Israel in the war against terror.
The next day Herzog visited the birthplace of Tivadar Herzl, the visionary of Zionism, where 30 years ago his father, Chaim Herzog, the sixth President of the State of Israel, laid a memorial plaque. He also commemorated the victims of the Holocaust at the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial site.
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