עמיחי שיקלי - Amichai Chikli@AmichaiChikli
Budapest under Viktor Orbán is one of the safest capitals in Europe for Jews, and one of the very few where a Jew can walk to synagogue on Shabbat morning wearing a tallit and kippah without fear.
This is no accident.
It stems from a responsible immigration policy, zero tolerance for antisemitism, and consistent enforcement of the law.
For years, Orbán’s government has invested heavily in restoring synagogues across Hungary, rehabilitating Jewish cemeteries, and affirming Jewish heritage as an inseparable part of the Hungarian national identity.
When the October 7 massacre occurred, Hungary acted immediately: it hosted Israeli delegations, became a safe haven for Israeli sports teams, banned demonstrations supporting the terrorist organization Hamas, and in a powerful symbolic gesture renamed the square in front of the Great Synagogue “October 7 Square” in memory of the victims.
When the Zionist Youth Congress in Basel faced a boycott, Budapest opened its doors wide and even sent a government minister to show support.
This continues a consistent policy: Hungary has repeatedly blocked anti-Israel resolutions in the European Union.
Budapest under Orbán stands in stark contrast to Brussels, where the October 7 atrocities are celebrated in the streets and hostility toward Jews has become normalized, even rewarded, in academia.
As someone who has seen the sharp rise in antisemitism across Europe, I feel compelled to express deep gratitude for Viktor Orbán’s courageous leadership.
I wish him every success in the elections tomorrow.
