Herzog to travel to Hungary, meet with PM Magyar, at Netanyahu's request
This trip will be the first visit to Hungary by a senior Israeli official since Magyar took over the prime ministership from Viktor Orbán in April.
President Isaac Herzog is set to journey to Hungary on Tuesday, at the behest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for a brief visit with Hungary's president, András Baka, and newly appointed prime minister, Péter Magyar. This would be the inaugural visit to Hungary by a high-ranking Israeli official since Magyar assumed office as prime minister in April, following the ousting of Viktor Orbán.
Prior to Magyar's appointment, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar engaged in a cordial telephone conversation on April 15. During the dialogue, Magyar expressed his commitment to sustaining the strong bond between Israel and Hungary under the incoming Hungarian leadership. Magyar further extended an invitation to Netanyahu for a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Uprising, to which Netanyahu responded favorably, accepting the invitation.
In turn, Netanyahu extended an invitation for Magyar to participate in a government-to-government meeting in Jerusalem. The relationship between Israel and Hungary has undergone a transformation following the close ties established during the tenure of Viktor Orbán. However, tensions arose when Hungary, under Orbán's leadership, chose to withdraw from the International Criminal Court in November 2024. This decision was reversed in May, with Magyar reversing Hungary's stance.
In April 2025, Netanyahu had visited Hungary and commended Magyar's decision to withdraw from the ICC as a "significant decision for the entire world, to stand up against a corrupt organization like the ICC." Despite the evolving dynamics, the Prime Minister's Office revealed that the conversation between Netanyahu and Magyar on April 15 focused on preserving the robust relationship between Israel and Hungary under the new Hungarian leadership.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
