President Isaac Herzog will travel to Budapest on Tuesday for a 12-hour diplomatic visit, becoming the first senior Israeli official to visit Hungary since the election defeat of longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the rise to power of his successor, Péter Magyar.
The Israeli government held a telephone vote Monday morning to approve the trip, which comes just ahead of Israel's upcoming elections and marks the first high-level diplomatic engagement between Jerusalem and Budapest since Hungary's historic political upheaval.
During the visit, Herzog will be received at Sándor Palace by Hungarian President András Baka. The two presidents are expected to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between their countries.
Herzog will then hold talks with Magyar, Hungary's new prime minister, focusing on advancing bilateral cooperation and maintaining ties between the two countries under Budapest's new leadership.
A central event of the visit will be Herzog's address to the international Voice of the People (VoP) conference. The gathering is part of a global initiative led by the Israeli president that brings together Jewish leaders and young people from Israel and the Diaspora to strengthen connections and encourage dialogue about the challenges facing Jewish communities worldwide.
Herzog is expected to conclude his brief visit with a meeting with leaders of Hungary's Jewish community.
The trip comes after a major political transformation in Hungary, where Magyar and his Tisza party defeated Orbán, ending the veteran prime minister's long rule. Orbán had been regarded as one of Israel's closest allies in Europe, regularly supporting Jerusalem in international forums.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar at a news conference following his election victory
(Photo: AP/ Denes Erdos)
Following Magyar's election victory, Herzog was quick to congratulate the incoming prime minister and expressed hope that the two countries would maintain their longstanding relationship. Magyar, for his part, said his government would pursue "pragmatic relations" with Israel.
The change in government has already brought significant adjustments to Hungarian foreign policy, including efforts to rebuild ties with the European Union and international institutions.
Among the most consequential changes was Magyar's decision to reverse Orbán's planned withdrawal from the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Orbán had initiated the withdrawal in response to the court's arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The new government subsequently halted the process, keeping Hungary within the ICC.
Against that backdrop, Herzog's meetings with Magyar and Baka will mark an important early diplomatic encounter between Israel and Hungary's new leadership, as the two countries seek to maintain cooperation despite Budapest's changing foreign policy.