One against all: Orbán cabinet rejects inclusion of Israeli settlers on sanctions list
Hungary alone has withheld support for putting Israeli settlers on the EU sanctions list, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said after a meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday.
Discussion of the issue had been “extremely tense”, Szijjártó told a press conference after the meeting, adding that no agreement was reached on imposing sanctions against Israeli settlers that had been advocated by several EU member states.
“At the start there were one or two … other countries that had similar position to ours. Their position slowly shifted,” he said, adding that in the end, Hungary was the only one not to support the proposal. Our article: Czech government backs down, only the Orbán government vetoes EU sanctions against Israel
The minister said adding settlers to the sanctions list would “only exacerbate tensions in a country that suffered a terrorist attack”. He said Israel’s counter-terrorist operation not only was in Israel’s interest but in that of the entire world.
He added that the measure would weaken Israel and heighten tensions in the West Bank, where fighting could spread.
“I think this must be prevented at all costs,” he said.
Szijjártó said at the same time that new sanctions should be mounted against Hamas.
“It had appeared that there was agreement on this, but several member states linked the two issues, which is completely unacceptable…” he said, adding that it was wrong and “anti-Israel” to pair Hamas and Israeli settlers together. Hamas, he said, should come under “the heaviest possible sanctions”, but it was unjustified to put settlers in the same category. Regarding the situation in Lebanon, the minister said preventing the spread of the conflict was of paramount importance, warning that failure to do so may lead to the whole of the Middle East being “engulfed in flames”, with a knock-on impact on European security.
“This is why I initiated … that the European Union should give the legitimate Lebanese government maximum support”, with the goal of preventing the war from spreading, Szijjártó said.
Hungary has provided 500,000 US dollars in aid to Egypt and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem with the aim of protecting the civilian population.
“Of course, we urge that the hostages be released immediately,” he said, adding that this should happen without strings attached. “A realistic agreement must be reached, and I trust that the Qataris and the Egyptians will succeed here,” he said.
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7 Comments
The EU: “looks like we all agree to approve these new laws (or sanctions), right?
Hungary (aka the sovereign state): “hold my palinka”
Never ending game of Orban and Fidesz. Why is still Hungary in the EU, please?
EU countries do not understand the word “ally.” Hungary, unlike the rest of EU, is against holocaust, and October 7th is tantamount to a holocaust. EU countries support their antisemitic population.
Well, maybe maria needs to understand the word “occupation” you are mixing again the hamas group with the west bank settlers. Read more before writing nonsense
It blows my mind that after suffering the worst terrorist attack in the history of humanity (proportional to the population), it is ISRAEL who is now being raked over the coals, including, and perhaps especially, by those who like to scream “Never again!!!” the loudest. Go jump in a lake, E.U.
Michael Steiner the violence of Israeli settlers in the West Bank is in a different geographic location and involves and different group of Palestinians that having nothing to do with the Hamas attack that was launched from Gaza. Facts have an way of becoming inconvenient.
Jose, where did you learn your history. Israel left Gaza in 2005; there was no occupation for 19 years.
Israel left behind industries, hot houses and other completed buildings. On top of that, Israel still supplied Gaza with electricity, clean water and 600,000 jobs for palestinians.
The UN through UNRWA supported palestine. The palastinians used funds to build tunnels, buy weapons and train children to be qualified terrorists. Not one electric generating station was erected.
On October 7th, hamas including employees of UNRWA attacked Israel. The terrorists murdered, raped, beheaded babes. This must never be forgotten or forgiven.
hamas has no right to exist in a civilized society. In future, Israel must keep all palestinians, (supporter of terrorists) out, stop supplying energy and jobs.
Hungary can understand what it is like surrounded by enemies. Hungary was constantly attacked and occupied. Hungarians must stand firm in their support of Israel and remain a true ally. No more persecution of Jewish people and not another holocaust from Antisemitic Europe should be tolerated.
Maria, we are talking about the illegal settlements in the west bank, check the map and dont tell me that the west bank is the same as the gaza strip. By the way, do you know why the gaza strip exist? Can you explain why Israel is “trying” to controll that area? Yes it is because of Hamas, but israel left because hamas won some elections there and Israel started to do what the nazis did to the jews. So we can say israel use their past to do the same to other people, not only in gaza but also on the west bank