In a symbolic gesture towards Israel, Hungary has named a downtown park in the capital Budapest after Jerusalem.
At the naming ceremony on Sunday, Budapest mayor István Tarlós said the decision to name the park after Jerusalem was taken in 2018, the 70th anniversary of Israeli statehood, and is “a gesture of an evolving friendship,” The mayor added that through millennia Jerusalem has been a symbol of survival, sustained by faith and unity.
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Cipi Hotoveli said that the naming ceremony was a milestone of Israeli-Hungarian relations and that Hungary has made “another important step towards moving its embassy (in Tel Aviv) to Jerusalem.
Two months ago during a visit to Israel. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Hungary will open a diplomatic-level trade representation in Jerusalem. At the time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Hungarian move was an important step in changing the European perception of Jerusalem.