Hungary’s new PM brings questions over special relationship with Israel

On 12 April, after 16 years, Hungary voted out far-right prime minister Viktor Orbán in favour of relative-newcomer Péter Magyar. The Canary has since covered the potential impacts on Orbán’s authoritarian allies, including both Vladimir Putin and Nigel Farage.

Our colleague Skwawkbox characterised both Orbán and Magyar thus:

As the careful reader will have noted, both men are right-wingers. Quite hard right-wingers. But while Orbán is EU-phobic, Magyar has promised closer ties with the union. However, Magyar is not expected to change Hungary’s defence of Israel against any stray EU anti-genocide measures in any significant way.

Great. Another rigged ‘two cheeks of the same arse’ result while Israel continues to slaughter and destabilise.

And, there’s more at play here – particularly with regard to Magyar’s intention to rejoin the International Criminal Courth (ICC), which currently has a warrant out for Netanyahu’s arrest. 

The butcher’s endorsement

The Israeli PM went to great lengths to endorse Orbán for this year’s election. In fact, Netanyahu and his son Yair even appeared virtually at Orbán’s first campaign rally and a US-led Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) event.

Regarding CPAC, Haaretz highlighted the fact that Israel was actively cosying up to neo-Nazi forces:

The Netanyahus shared the stage with a slew of far-right European leaders, including from Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Austria’s Freedom Party (FPÖ) – parties that Israel officially boycotts because of their antisemitic roots and members – as well as other right-wing populist leaders from Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Estonia, Poland, Spain, Paraguay and Italy.

At the far-right conference, Netanyahu heartily endorsed Orbán:

I want to thank my friend Viktor Orbán, who has been a rock… I know many world leaders, but I can tell you that he is right there at the top. Viktor Orbán means stability, safety and security.

In spite – or perhaps because of – that glowing endorsement from the butcher of Gaza, Orbán failed to secure a fifth term in power.

Hungary ‘special relationship’

However, it’s still unknown just how much Magyar’s premiership might impact Netanyahu and Israel more broadly.

Israeli outlets have previously reported that they don’t expect any radical shifts in Hungary’s Zionist outlook. Indeed, Magyar has stated specifically that he will maintain his Budapest’s “special relationship” with Jerusalem.

However, mirroring his attitude towards Moscow, Magyar emphasised that he wound take a “pragmatic” attitude towards Jerusalem. This would include “carefully” examining EU proposals regarding Israel.

Of course, this currently looks unlikely to result in an actual contrast with Orbán’s habit of vetoing or watering-down any EU sanctions or critical statements on Israel. Whilst Magyar indicated that he doesn’t want to “rush ahead” in deciding how closely Hungary will align with EU decisions in general, he said outright that:

Hungary will continue to block EU decisions regarding Israel. […]

We will see when and what decision the EU makes and what is the interest, what is the truth.

The truth and Netanyahu are perfect strangers, if you ask us – but what do we know?

The International Criminal Court

However, in a potential signal of a more radical break from Orbán, Magyar has pledged to rejoin the ICC. Regarding the international court, Magyar stated that it’s “in Hungary’s interest to be part of it”.

Orbán previously withdrew Hungary from the ICC in June 2025, after it issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over his war crimes in Gaza. The ICC stated that the Israeli PM was: 

Allegedly responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024.

Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC left the central European nation as the only EU state that Netanyahu could visit without risking arrest. Notably, however, not even that fact could entice the Israeli dictator to appear at the CPAC event in person.

With Hungary rejoining the ICC, Magyar may end up treading a very fine line maintaining Hungary’s “special relationship” with an Israeli PM for whom it also holds an active arrest warrant. Of course, how this will actually play out remains to be seen.

Featured image via the Canary