During his visit to Hungary, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli stated that Hungary and Israel have excellent relations, which is why Jews in Hungary can practice their faith in safety in contrast to many other European nations.

Early in March Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli visited Hungary and spent several days in the country. He met with Hungary’s Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, and several Hungarian Jewish community leaders, and gave presentations on the Gaza War at Milton Friedman University and Faith Church.

In a formal meeting with Amichai Chikli, Péter Szijjártó reaffirmed Hungary’s support for Israel and stated that

Hungary’s position in the Hamas–⁠Israel War will not shift.

Hungary acknowledges Israel’s right to self-defence and condemns the terror attacks carried out by Hamas. He went on to say that the international community as a whole, not just Israel, has an interest in the success of counterterrorism.

‘All religious communities in Hungary feel safe because of Hungary’s adherence to the migration policy, which is also greatly respected by Israel,’ Szijjártó continued. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade declared: ‘We will not allow modern anti-Semitism in the future either, as it has not sprung up in Hungary, unlike a significant portion of Western European countries.’

Regarding the hostages in Gaza, Szijjártó stated that Hungary will do everything to release the hostage who is a citizen of Hungary and is still alive.

János Bóka met with Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs on the first day of his tour to Hungary. The Minister for European Union Affairs commented on the meeting with the remark: ‘Without the fight against anti-Semitism and for the protection of European Jewish culture, the future of Europe with Judeo–⁠Christian origins is at risk.’

Presenting about the Gaza War was a central component of Amichai Chikli’s tour to Hungary. In Zsilip Synagogue he explained Iran’s involvement in the current war in detail. He highlighted the decline of the Iran–⁠Israel relations following the Iranian revolution in 1979. He stressed that a religious umbrella organization was established during the war in Iraq in the 1980s, following the deterioration of relations between Iran and Iraq, and that this organization spread its influence to Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and the Arab nations surrounding the Red Sea. These groups viewed Israel as an enemy, and Iran gave these states substantial assistance in obtaining weapons. This is the key point that should be understood to see the Gaza War from the right perspective.

The American involvement in the Middle East wars was also discussed by Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs. According to him, Iran’s position in the area weakened under Donald Trump’s presidency because the former president imposed sanctions on the Persian nation. On the other hand, he brought up Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, which strengthened Iran, and he added that there are openly pro-Hamas members of the American Democratic Party as well.

Speaking of the end of the Gaza War, Chikli continued that Israel believes it is realistic to stop the fighting only if they can open the Rafah front near the Egyptian border, even though the US administration is doing everything in its power to get Israel to suspend its manoeuvres to destroy the terrorists and to free the hostages. He also disclosed that, due to Hizballah’s security threats, Israel will most likely start a war with Lebanon on the northern frontline when the Gaza War ends.

Amichai Chikli also visited the largest Zionist–Christian church in Hungary, Faith Church, which is well-known for its support of Israel and the Jewish community. Under the title Israel After October 7, Clash of Civilizations, the Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs gave a presentation about the current situation and answered questions related to the topic.

He underlined during the occasion that, in the face of growing anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in the West,

Hungary stands behind the Jewish state here in Europe.

In this connection, he clarified that Islamism and the so-called woke ideology are the two primary global enemies of the Judeo–Christian system of values.

Despite strong international criticism and opposition, he predicted that Israel would prevail in the war against terrorists and implied that Israel’s destiny would rely on how future generations continue their cooperative efforts.