Menu
Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Honourable Prime Minister,
I welcome you here in public again after a gap of eight years. The last time we met in Budapest was eight years ago, and the last time I visited you was in 2021. The world has changed enormously since then, security is faced with grave threats everywhere across the globe. One of the most serious instances of this was the terrorist attack suffered by your country, Israel, a year and a half ago. You were subjected to a grievous, savage terrorist attack, which trampled Israeli sovereignty underfoot and which had a major impact on the whole world – including Hungary. From the very first moment Hungary made it clear that we stand up for Israel’s sovereignty, its right to self-defence, and the security of the Israeli people; and we have represented this position in world politics everywhere ever since. So I wish the Prime Minister and the Government of Israel every success in establishing the security of its people and in asserting its right to self-defence.
Prime Minister,
Changes have also taken place in Hungary, most notably in the context of the European Union. In recent years Hungary has been an island of freedom in Europe, and it is a determined guardian and standard-bearer of Judeo-Christian civilisation. To the press I say that in terms of population the Jewish community in Hungary is the third largest Jewish community in Europe; and I can also say with certainty that today its members enjoy the safest environment in the whole of Europe. What we have been talking about today – and will continue to talk about – is the phenomenon that over the past decade has surprised us all: anti-Semitism in Western Europe reaching unprecedented proportions. As you know, in Hungary Hamas flags have never been flown, and will never be flown in the future. In this country – in our country – there is zero tolerance for anti-Semitism, and we are enforcing this policy with all the means at our disposal. We protect all our citizens, paying special attention to those groups that are at extreme risk – and everywhere in the world today the Jewish community is at extreme risk.
As I said in our talks, I would therefore like to assure you that Hungary has no tolerance for anti-Semitism. Here there is a complete policy of zero tolerance; and although we are not happy that it is necessary to say such a thing, I repeat that the situation is such that among the Jewish communities in Europe today the members of the one in Hungary can feel that they live in the greatest safety. We also spoke with the Prime Minister about the fact that anti-Semitism is being imported into Western Europe. Illegal migration inevitably brings with it an increase in anti-Semitism. The Brussels elite are unable and unwilling to stop this: they do not want to stop illegal migration, but want to manage it. Hungary, however, shall not yield: Hungary shall not accept any migration, and it shall not allow any European migration agreement to be enforced in Hungary, because that would endanger the security of the citizens living here, the security of all citizens. Furthermore, for us this is also an issue of sovereignty.
Ladies and Gentlemen, there is also an identity of interests between our two countries. Our shared interests derive not only from our values, but also from our national interests in Israel being a secure country and remaining a stable country. A stable Israel is the key to stability in the Middle East, and in this the Prime Minister can always count on us.
I must also talk about bilateral relations – we also talked about this subject. Israel is a major investor in Hungary. There are 150 Israeli companies operating here in Hungary, employing thousands of people. These are valuable investments, not only because of their volume, but also because of their quality, as they display a strong tendency toward the pharmaceutical and high-tech sectors. The Hungarian and Israeli business communities work well together, so we have high hopes for the continuation of this cooperation. Our cooperation also covers one of the most important and sensitive areas, namely military-industrial and military-security cooperation. We have purchased and incorporated into the Hungarian military system a number of technologies from Israel, and we will continue this cooperation in the future. Hungarian exports to Israel are an area that matters to us. We are pleased that Israel has never placed any obstacles in the way of exports from Hungary to Israel. Thank you for this also!
And finally I must also talk about one of the most topical issues: the changes that have taken place in the international justice system. Here I too must first of all talk about the International Criminal Court. I am an expert on this, Prime Minister. It is a minor story, because it is a Hungarian story – but it is important for us. Back in 2000 I was the prime minister who signed the document for our accession to the International Criminal Court. And recently I was the one who signed the document to withdraw from it; because Hungary has decided – the Hungarian government has decided – that we will withdraw from it. The reason for this is that we have become convinced that it has become a political court: in recent years it is no longer an impartial court, it is no longer a court based on the rule of law, but it is now a political court – and its decisions on Israel have shown this most clearly. And we think that a self-respecting democratic, constitutional state like Hungary will not and cannot participate in an international court which operates on the basis of political motivations. I am convinced that this otherwise important international judicial forum has been reduced to a political instrument – something which, in the coming period, we are unable and unwilling to be associated with. The Foreign Minister will submit a bill to the Hungarian parliament today, and we will withdraw from and renounce the Rome Statute.
Honourable Prime Minister,
I repeat our best wishes. We greet you with respect – not only on behalf of the Hungarian government, but also on behalf of the Hungarian people. Thank you for coming to visit us. Thank you for the friendship that the State of Israel has shown towards Hungary in recent years. We thank you for the cooperation we have been able to establish on the international stage. Thank you for the support you give to the Jewish community in Hungary. And we are proud that today the Jewish community, a community with a troubled history and a difficult past, is not only able to feel at home in Hungary, but can also consider itself to be a valuable community – just as we consider the Jewish community in Hungary to be valuable. Your visit is therefore not simply important in a political sense, as the media interest shows, but also important to us in a personal and spiritual sense – and, if you like, in a civilisational sense. I reaffirm that Israel can count on Hungary in the future as an impregnable European bastion of Judeo-Christian culture, unassailable to its adversaries.
Thank you very much for your attention.
