Contra to the EU and the ICC: Netanyahu in Budapest

On 2–6 April, Israeli Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu made an authoritative visit to Hungary. This was his second abroad journey (in the first went to the United States) since the global Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on charges of being liable for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza Strip. Viktor Orbán invited the Israeli chief of government, ignoring the ICC decision, and guaranteed him immunity. On the day of the arrival of Netanjahu, the Hungarian authorities stated that they had initiated the procedure of speaking out of the Court, which was the subject of a telephone conversation between both Prime Ministers and Donald Trump.

The course towards Israel and the ICC is another area in which Orbán's cabinet is ostentatically lined up to mainstream in the EU to build bilateral relations with 3rd countries, in this case with Israel and the US. The first cooperation with Budapest brings many benefits: Hungary consistently represents a pro-Israeli attitude at global level, supports the judaic state's run to disqualify institutions (such as the ICC) and strengthens its communicative on extremist Islam as a major threat to the “world of the West” represented in this field by Israel, Europe and the United States.

Comment

• Hungary is 1 of Israel's closest European partners, and their relation is based on close individual relations and ideological kinships of Orbán and Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister's invitation fits in with the Hungarian ruling efforts to make alliances with extremist groups with which they share anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, Eurosceptic, pro-Russian or pro-Trumpian views, as well as global institutions' protests. Fidesz and Likud have worked closely for years, and the electoral campaigns of both parties have been followed by the same advisors (including Arthur Finkelstein and George Birnbaum). The authorities of both countries besides brought closer the approach to the migration crisis after 2015 – the inspiration for the anti-immigration policy of Orbán's cabinet was, among another things, Israel's approach to the influx of refugees from Africa after 2006 (called the right-wing infiltrators). During Netanyahu's rule, the Hungarian authorities besides utilized Israeli Pegasus software for surveillance of opposition and media.
• It is valuable for Israel to support Hungary within the EU and the UN and to undermine the ICC's moves. ZBudapest railway uses close relations with Israel to strengthen relations with the US, especially after Trump takes power. In fresh years, Hungary has repeatedly blocked (sometimes with Austria, the Czech Republic and Romania) EU and UN statements condemning Israel's actions towards Palestinians. He remained an advocate for the Netanjah government in the EU besides after the Gaza offensive. The restoration of cooperation with Israel indicated as 1 of the objectives of the EU Council Presidency held in the second half of 2024, although this did not translate into concrete steps. They were the first to declare the transfer of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but so far only a commercial office has been opened there. In fresh years both countries have besides tightened military cooperation – the Hungarian army has purchased radars and drones, among others, from which the another Israeli company UVision produces in Hungary in collaboration with German Rheinmetall.
• For the authorities in Budapest, Israel's support plays an crucial function in resisting anti-Semitism charges and relativising Hungary's participation in the Holocaust. For years, local judaic organizations or the institute of Jad Ojem have criticised the government of Orbán for depriving Hungary of its function and promoting figures known from anti-Semitic views. 1 of the main motives of the Prime Minister's historical policy is the rehabilitation of Miklós Horthy's government (in 1920 he introduced the first anti-Jewish laws in Europe, and during planet War II his administration was liable for transporting Jews to extermination camps). During a visit to Budapest Netanjah He even emphasized the similarity of the historical experience of Hungarians and Jews (in the fight against abroad oppression), ignoring completely the issue of Hungarian collaboration with the 3rd Reich. Israel's support besides allowed Orbán to reject accusations of anti-Semitic subtext of the run against George Soros, an American Hungarian-Jewish financier of origin (for both leaders it is primarily a symbol of a liberal “internationalist”).
• For Budapest, the extension of the concept of anti-Semitism by Israel in the last 2 decades is beneficial, so that it besides includes (or above all) criticism of that country. The allegation of “anti-Semitism” is presently mainly directed at people and institutions accusing him of human rights violations and war crimes against the Palestinian population in Gaza and the West Bank. The organization of Orbán (as well as another related groups in Europe) supporting Israel in this area allows to fight the patch of "anti-Semites" without the request to correct its own – frequently revisionist – historical policy. In turn, Israel's communicative of the clash with “Islamic radicalism”, the western left and the “corrupt” global institutions reinforces Fidesz and the European extremist right on immigrants (and implicite Islam) as a major threat to European identity.