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Péter Magyar on phone with Benjamin Netanyahu: they agreed on two issues
Hungary’s prime minister-elect Péter Magyar has had talks by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and invited him to Budapest, the Israeli foreign ministry said on its website on Wednesday.
Péter Magyar may travel to Israel soon
According to the ministry, the two leaders had a “warm introductory call”, in which Magyar indicated his wish to maintain the close ties between Hungary and Israel, and invited Netanyahu to attend celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s anti-Soviet uprising on 23 October.
Netanyahu accepted Magyar’s invitation and proposed a joint government meeting in Jerusalem. The Israeli PM said he was convinced that the friendly bilateral ties established under outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s tenure would continue under Magyar’s premiership.
The two leaders agreed that the foreign ministers of Hungary and Israel would meet soon to discuss further strengthening bilateral ties.
Analysts: Orbán’s loss in Hungary unlikely to shift EU’s position on Israel
The loss of Viktor Orbán’s government in Hungary has sparked debate in Brussels about whether the EU’s policy toward Israel might change, but the general expectation is that the bloc’s line will remain the same, the Turkish Anadolu News Agency wrote.
Orban had been widely regarded as one of the most vocal European supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, frequently using Hungary’s veto power within the EU to block or soften critical statements on Israel’s military actions in Gaza and to oppose discussions on sanctions.
- Due to EU foreign policy decisions requiring unanimity, Hungary’s position under Orbán allowed it to influence the tone and pace of EU statements on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
- Budapest also resisted efforts to expand EU financial assistance to Palestinians and delayed humanitarian-related decisions during periods of escalating crisis in Gaza.
- His government additionally took a strong stance against potential International Criminal Court (ICC) action targeting Netanyahu, refusing to recognize the court’s authority and offering explicit political backing to Israel’s leadership.
Orbán was a staunch ally of Israel
Despite his departure from the political scene, analysts say the structural foundations of EU policy are unlikely to change.
European Parliament member Marc Botenga said Orbán’s role had been obstructive in certain EU decisions but stressed that other member states also share responsibility for limiting stronger EU action on Israel.
“Orbán was a staunch ally of Israel, and his removal is a good thing for many reasons. However, a number of EU governments, like the Italian and the German ones, also blocked meaningful action against Israeli crimes,” he told Anadolu.
He pointed to broader institutional positions within the bloc, including EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who he says has repeatedly protected Israel from additional accountability. “They will no longer be able to hide behind Orbán now to hide their own complicity,” Botenga added.
No policy shift
Brussels-based senior journalist Shada Islam also stressed that Orbán’s exit alone does not signal a policy shift, noting that support for Israel is deeply rooted in institutional and political structures, including leaders such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
“While there are countries like Spain that want a tougher EU line on Israel, broader EU consensus rooted in historical guilt (especially Germany’s), strategic interests (countering Iran and extremism), and domestic politics will continue to weigh on the EU,” Islam told Anadolu.
“Orbán was a high-profile friend of Israel and of Netanyahu, but the policy framework, including arms sales, the association agreement, and science and security cooperation, predate and will outlast him,” she added.
If you missed our previous articles on Israel:
- Washington Post: Hungary’s Szijjártó offered intelligence cooperation to Iran after pager attacks
- Mega investment: Israeli defence industry hub could come to Budapest
Though few will say it – this is The Golden Age of International Jewry.
Therefore, Orbán Viktor’s alliance with Israel, and, in particular, to Benjamin Netanyahu, is, no matter how untasteful it seems to many, of benefit to Hungary.
This is Real-Politik, and, just because Orbán is now calling the movers, does not change it, or the exigiencies of it.
If his preliminary moves and spoken thoughts, over the last 2 days, are any indication, Magyar Péter is on track to govern as he indicated : Orbánism, minus what Magyar has repeatedly alleged are the system’s greatest liability : the corrupting traits of Orbán and his appointed cronies.