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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will arrive in Hungary on Wednesday evening and will stay until Sunday morning, the Times of Israel reported on Sunday morning, citing a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
The length of the visit is also due to Netanyahu’s custom of waiting for the Sabbath in the host country from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon.
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 press reported in early March that Mr. Netanyahu could visit Hungary before Easter. Gergely Gulyás, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, confirmed the visit at the Government Info briefing, but said that official information on the exact date would be announced later.
The Orbán government is one of Israel’s close allies in the European Union and in NATO,
writes the Times of Israel.
This year, Israeli President Isaac Herzog came to Hungary for a state visit in February. He met Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok, as well as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Both Hungarian leaders expressed their support for Israel in light of Hamas’s attack against the country, with Mr. Orbán emphasizing that Hungary recognizes Israel’s right to self-defense.
Thank you President of Hungary @DrTamasSulyok for your invitation and warm welcome here in Budapest. During my short visit, we will solemnly commemorate the Holocaust of Hungarian Jewry, emphasize the urgent call for the return of our hostages from captivity in Gaza, and… pic.twitter.com/ea0GAQs1mP
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) February 18, 2025
In January, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó in Budapest. The parties discussed the Gaza ceasefire and supporting Christians in the Middle East. Mr. Szijjártó recalled that both United Nations (UN) and EU forums are extremely hostile towards Israel, which shows modern-day anti-Semitism.
Via Times of Israel, Featured photo via Twitter/Benjamin Netanyahu