Hungary safest place for Jews in Europe - Hungarian foreign minister

In a meeting with Israel's Diaspora Affairs minister on Monday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said he believes his country is currently the safest place in Europe for Jews amid an explosive rise in antisemitism across the continent.

“Thanks to a responsible immigration policy, Hungary stands as the safest haven for Jews in Europe today, where the presence of armed guards at their institutions is unnecessary,” Szijjártó told Israeli Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli.

During his visit to the Hungarian capital, Budapest, Chikli met with several top officials, including the deputy prime minister, parliamentarians and representatives of the Jewish community.

“It is Hungary’s robust conservative leadership that ensures Jews can walk through the streets safely, unlike in other European capitals, where, notably in London, Jews require armored vehicles for safe passage,” Chikli said.

He agreed with the foreign minister: “Hungary is today the safest country for Jews in Europe, who do not need armed fighters at the entrance of their institutions, thanks to responsible immigration policy.”

Chikli noted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is currently facing unjustified criticism.

“Accusations of antisemitism and racism were hurled at him, yet today, Budapest is the singular European capital where a Jew can proudly wear a Star of David and kippah to synagogue without fear of verbal or physical abuse.

“Embrace national identity or face self-destruction,” the Israeli minister warned. “Hungary is the safest country for Jews in Europe due to immigration policies.”

Chikli arrived in Hungary as part of a diplomatic initiative meant to strengthen relations and to debate crucial issues, such as terrorism, antisemitism and the challenges Israel faces within the European Union.

The EU is often critical of Israel's policies, specifically those regarding the IDF's military campaign against the Hamas terror organization in Gaza following the Oct. 7 attack.

Chikli also met with European Parliament member Arno Schler-Bros and Deputy Minister Miklós Pany to discuss the issue of UNRWA’s support for terrorism.

“The direct involvement of UNRWA staff in terrorist activities and their systematic incitement within the organization’s facilities leave no room for justification of an agency exclusively for Palestinians,” Chikli told the two ministers responsible for the EU's parliamentary and strategic matters.

In February, Hungary was the only EU member nation to block attempts by the European Union to make a consensus statement against the anticipated Israeli military operation against Hamas in the southern Gaza town of Rafah.

In January 2023, Orbán described the State of Israel and the Republic of Hungary as two “successful conservative countries.”

While Israel and Hungary are consolidating relations, Hungary has recently also been strengthening its relations with Iran. Last month, the Hungarian foreign minister traveled to Tehran, where he met with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and signed a food and agriculture trade deal with the Islamic Republic. It is rare for officials from the European Union to visit Iran.

The Iranian regime is the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and has threatened to wipe Israel off the map. It continues to fund and support its proxies throughout the Middle East, including the Hamas terror organization in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon in the north, various terrorist groups in Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen.