Péter Szijjártó met with his Israeli counterpart, Giden Sa'ar in Budapest.Continue reading
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara arrived in Budapest early Thursday morning. They were received at the Hungarian capital’s airport by a military guard of honor and then escorted by a convoy to their hotel, Hirado.hu reports.
“We welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Budapest,” Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungary’s Minister of Defense, wrote on Facebook.
The Times of Israel reported that the arrival of the Israeli Prime Minister was uneventful. Benjamin Netanyahu disembarked from the plane with his wife Sara early in the morning:
Başbakan Binyamin Netanyahu, Macaristan Cumhurbaşkanı ve Başbakan Orban ile yapacağı siyasi ziyaret ve görüşmeler öncesinde bu akşam ‘Zion Wing’ uçağıyla Macaristan’ın başkentine indi. pic.twitter.com/yH9PJhxuQz
— Hasan Killik (@greenhousehasan) April 3, 2025
As the Israeli news site wrote, the Israeli Prime Minister was met by a military honor guard as expected, and was escorted to his hotel after landing by a convoy without incident.
As reported by Hungary Today, the invitation was sent by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in November 2024, after the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an international arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of intentionally starving the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Prime Minister arrived for a multi-day visit: he will stay in Hungary until Sunday.
The official reception took place after 11 a.m. on Thursday. Viktor Orbán wrote in a post on X on the occasion,
Prime Minister Netanyahu in Budapest, the safest place in Europe. Welcome to Hungary, Prime Minister!”
Prime Minister @netanyahu in Budapest, the safest place in Europe. Welcome to Hungary, Prime Minister! pic.twitter.com/GI1cjGj6X1
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) April 3, 2025
The heads of government will later hold talks at the Carmelite Monastery in Buda Castle.
Benjamin Netanyahu was also received at the Sándor Palace by Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok. They reviewed the state of bilateral relations, future opportunities, and current international challenges. The President underlined his conviction that a strong Israel is essential not only for the security of the Middle East, but also for Europe, for the protection of European Jewry and for the fight against anti-Semitism. He stressed that Hungary condemns anti-Semitism and has declared zero tolerance against all forms of it.
Netanyahu expressed his gratitude for Hungary’s support and pointed out that
although we are both small nations, small nations can achieve great things.”
President Tamás Sulyok (R) with Benjamin Netanyahu at the Sándor Palace. Photo: MTI/Bruzák Noémi
The visit is of extraordinary significance, as the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against the Israeli Prime Minister and the then Israeli Defense Minister last November, yet Netanyahu was able to land in Hungary without any problems.
Via Hirado.hu, The Times of Israel; Featured image: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán