Netanyahu applauds Orbán's announcement about Hungary's withdrawal from the ICC

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived for an official visit to Budapest in the early hours of Thursday morning upon the invitation of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The Hungarian PM had invited the Israeli leader last November after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him on charges of war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip. At the time, the Hungarian government said that it would ignore the decision of the Hague body, which it called absurd and shameful. The government stated that it not only rejected the decision in principle, but also wanted to prove this in practice as soon as possible, for which Netanyahu’s ongoing visit presents the perfect opportunity.

The visit began with the two politicians holding talks in Orbán’s office on Thursday morning, followed by a joint press conference, where they both made statements, but where the press was not permitted to ask questions.

Hungary, the resolute guardian of the Judeo-Christian civilisation

The press conference began after a lengthy delay, with Orbán recalling that the last time they met in Budapest was eight years ago, and that the last time he had been to Israel was in 2021. "The world has undergone enormous change since then, and currently there are serious threats to global security", as evidenced by the terrorist attack Israel suffered a year and a half ago. The attack, which trampled Israeli sovereignty underfoot, had a major impact on the world, and Hungary has made it clear that it stands by the Israeli people, Orbán said, underlining Israel's right to self-defence.

According to Orbán, anti-Semitism has reached unprecedented levels in Europe, but "there have been no Hamas flags waved in Hungary so far". Some things have also changed in Hungary, Orbán said, but he assured Netanyahu that there is zero tolerance for anti-Semitism in Hungary. He added that he isn't glad that he has to say so, but as he sees it,

“The fact is that today, of all the Jewish communities in Europe, those living in Hungary can feel the safest.”

Orbán also noted that Hungary has been an island of freedom in Europe, "the resolute guardian of Judeo-Christian civilisation". "I am speaking to the press when I say that Hungary has the third largest Jewish community in Europe (...) Today, of all similar communities across Europe, they are the safest," Orbán reiterated.

Orbán also said that they discussed the fact that anti-Semitism is being "imported into Western Europe", and that this is the result of illegal migration. "The Brussels elite is unable and unwilling to stop this", he said, adding that while they ("Brussels") are trying to manage illegal migration, Hungary will not accept any form of migration or agreement because it would threaten the security of Hungarians. "The two countries have shared interests," Orbán said. " This is one reason why we are interested in Israel's security and stability, which is also the key to stability in the Middle East.

According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, there are 150 Israeli companies in Hungary, and these are high-value investments in the pharmaceutical and high-tech sectors. Orbán expressed hope that this cooperation will continue. Cooperation in the defence and military sectors will also continue, with Hungary having purchased a lot of technology from Israel (it is worth mentioning the Pegasus spy software here, which the Prime Minister did not bring up). "We are pleased that Israel has not put any obstacles in the way of Hungarian exports," the Hungarian Prime Minister continued.

An expert opinion on the ICC

Orbán also touched on Hungary's recently announced withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). He said that he was an expert on the ICC because "I was the Prime Minister who signed the document on joining the ICC" in 2001. Orbán then went on to say that he would also be the one to withdraw from it – this statement was received with applause by some at the press conference, including Netanyahu.

According to him, this court has not been impartial in recent years, but has functioned as "a political court" instead. "A democratic state governed by the rule of law", which Hungary is, according to Orbán, "cannot participate in this". According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, the ICC has been reduced to a political instrument, which is why Hungary will no longer participate in it.

Proud and unwavering support for Israel

Benjamin Netanyahu started by saying that "this is a moving day" for him, as he recalled his first visit to Hungary in 1993, at the time as Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel. He admitted that at that time he was only familiar with Puskás, goulash soup and Zsazsa Gábor when it came to Hungary. He then recalled how the Second World War ended here, how there was another occupation after that, and how it took decades until the country won its independence. He said that this was similar to Israel's ordeal, and highlighted the Holocaust and the struggles to create the state of Israel.

"The only question that remained was when these two histories would meet, when this great alliance would begin," Netanyahu said. He said the Hungarian government has been supporting Israel proudly and unwaveringly, both in the EU and in the UN. He called Hungary's withdrawal from "the corrupt organisation" which "threatens democracy" a courageous step – a reference to Hungary's recent announcement about withdrawing from the International Criminal Court's (ICC). He said that instead of standing up against terrorism, the ICC stood up against Israel.

"You are the first state to walk away from this decay (...) You have shown extraordinary courage in the face of anti-Semitism," Netanyahu said, commenting on Hungary's withdrawal from the ICC.

According to Netanyahu, there is no Jewry without the State of Israel.

He also thanked Hungary "for taking care of Israel's football team, since they must be able to practice somewhere," Netanyahu said, pointing to this as another "sign of a deep friendship and alliance". According to Netanyahu, Israelis like Budapest, but "who wouldn't", he added.

Speaking about radical Islam, Netanyahu said that Iran supports Hezbollah and the Houthis. "We were attacked by Iran's proxies" who raped, killed, and beheaded local residents and took hostages. Netanyahu declared that they would bring the hostages home, "we will crush this Iranian axis of terror". He said that many of their friends in the Middle East are committed to this, as by doing so, they are also defending Europe, which not everyone understands, but Viktor Orbán does.

"I realised that although my knowledge of Hungary has grown, there is still room for growth," and then he mentioned that Ludwig van Beethoven had even played the piano here. He then asked who in the room knew it, and said there would be bonus points for knowing this. Finally, the Israeli Prime Minister praised the rich Hungarian culture, and expressed hope that the relationship between the two countries and cultures would grow and prosper.

Once the press conference concluded, Orbán and Netanyahu left without giving an opportunity to the press to ask questions, with Israeli journalists indignantly shouting after them saying they would have wanted to ask a few. One of them regretted that there was no mention of Hungary's historical responsibility in the Holocaust. Although Orbán touched on this today, all he said in his speech was that the past of the Jewish community in Hungary was "historically burdened". Indeed, in 2017, during Netanyahu's last visit, when speaking at the Dohány Street synagogue, Orbán did mention the historical role and responsibility of the Hungarian state in the Holocaust.