Gergely Gulyás, Head of the Prime Minister's Office, said Hungary fully supports Israel in its fight for sovereignty, security and the right to self-defense.
Gulyás told the International Pro-Israel Summit organized by the Center for Fundamental Rights that “true friends show up in times of trouble”. “The first thing we can wish for Israel in the current situation is that it should regain control over the entire territory of the state of Israel and establish the security guarantees needed to prevent similar bestial attacks from happening in the future,” Gulyás said. The events also serve as a message to Europe that border protection should stand above debate. It must be a task for all countries that protect the external border zone of Schengen, he added. “If we fail to do that, the current conflict may have tragic consequences also for Europe,” Gulyás said. Joining forces is most important in the current situation, meaning that the coalition behind Israel must be strong, he said. Meanwhile, Gulyás called Saturday’s attacks on Israel “brutal” and “incompatible with human existence” and expressed “maximum solidarity” with Israel.
Gulyás added that terrorists may come to Europe from Gaza unless the EU’s borders are protected. He also warned that migrants in several countries of western Europe had welcomed the developments in Israel. “If Europe fails to consider its own security it could find itself on the losing side of this conflict, too.” He said supporting terrorism was impermissible. He also suggested that “US diplomacy should assess who is a friend and who is an enemy”, adding that the US government had “deviated from the earlier directions set under President Trump”. “As a result, they might have made deals under which they might have also supported countries promoting terrorism,” he said. Hungary, which has the largest Jewish community in central Europe, is proud to maintain special relations with Israel, Gulyás said. “Israel faces continuous threats and is making great sacrifices to preserve the most fundamental human values,” Gulyás said. He also expressed concern about Israel’s community of some 300,000 people of Hungarian origin. Fundamental Rights chief Miklós Szánthó said Hungary and Israel were “not only political but natural allies … champions of sovereignty”. He said, “both countries will oppose even international trends if it comes to their sovereignty, their people, or protecting their borders”. “We are connected through a love of God, our homelands, and families … things that have come under fire by woke terrorists,” he insisted.
Yacov Hadas-Handelsman, Israel’s ambassador to Hungary, said Saturday’s attacks had come unexpected and he compared the developments to “a combination of 11.09 and the Bucha massacre”. He said the perpetrators must pay a “similar price”. Israel must win the war, he said, but added that the conflict would “not be short”. The ambassador advocated caution because “this murderous ideology cannot be changed”. “When we see that murdering children, women, and civilians is hailed in Toronto and Berlin and nobody stops the celebration, it indicates a problem not only for Israel but for the whole of the international community,” he said. Hadas-Handelsman thanked the Hungarian government for its efforts to fight discrimination against Israel at international forums and its zero tolerance for anti-Semitism. According to the ambassador, the Hungarian Jewish community was safe, enjoyed freedom of expression and culture, and would not face such attacks as seen in other large cities of Europe. He also commended the Hungarian government for investing large amounts of money in efforts to reinvigorate Jewish culture and preserve cemeteries.