Viktor Orban

In Orban’s rule, Israelis saw a model for their own country - will he also be one in defeat?

The election in Hungary comes as Israel prepares for an election in the next six months, as Israelis ponder whether Magyar will be as supportive of Israel and its leader as Orban was.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu review a military honor guard on April 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, April 14, 2026.

Netanyahu’s very difficult week - opinion

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026.

Magyar says Netanyahu would face arrest if he came to Hungary, but invitation remains

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during a media briefing in Budapest, Hungary, December 21, 2022.

Middle Israel: Orbán’s defeat, Hungary's political shift, and lessons for Israel - opinion


Elections polls in Hungary and the Israeli lesson - opinion

The key lesson for the Israeli public from the Hungarian elections may be that polls should be treated with considerable caution.

HUNGARIAN ELECTION winner Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza Party, speaks to the media in Budapest, on Wednesday.

Netanyahu, Hungary’s PM-elect Peter Magyar hold first call, pledge continued close ties

Magyar invited the Israeli premier to a ceremony marking 70 years since the Hungarian Uprising, while Netanyahu invited him to a government-to-government meeting in Jerusalem.

PETER MAGYAR, leader of the opposition Tisza Party, speaks during a press conference a day after the parliamentary election, in which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat, Budapest, Hungary, April 13, 2026.

Hungarian Jewish community extend olive branch to Magyar, including Orban allies

Magyar said on Sunday that he would aim for a "pragmatic relationship" with Israel, but would not provide a blanket block of the European Union's decisions regarding Israel.

Election winner Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza Party looks on, on the day of a meeting with Hungary's President Tamas Sulyok after the parliamentary election, at Sandor Palace in Budapest, Hungary, April 15, 2026.

Orban’s defeat: A sign of things to come? - opinion

In countries where populism is ascendant, the main political rivalry is no longer primarily between a moderate Left and a moderate Right.

PETER MAGYAR, leader of the opposition Tisza Party, speaks during a press conference a day after the parliamentary election, in which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Monday.

Viktor Orban will always be the man who kept Hungary’s Jews safe - opinion

Hungary stands out as a nation in the middle of Europe where Jewish life is thriving.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reacts onstage as people applaud after the announcement of the partial results of parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026.

Orban’s paradox: A friend of Israel, a challenge for Jews - analysis

Orban may have been an ultra-nationalist. He may have been anti-immigration. He may have been illiberal. But he had Israel’s back. Repeatedly.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban shake hands in Budapest in April 2025.

Israel loses Hungary as key EU ally as Viktor Orban exits power - analysis

With Orban’s departure from power following the recent elections, Israel is waking up to a starkly different European landscape.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reacts onstage as people applaud after the announcement of the partial results of parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026.

Israel must avoid taking sides in foreign elections - opinion

During the Hungary elections, the Israeli Right and Left expressed explicit support for one side or another, including elected officials and political activists.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reacts onstage as people applaud after the announcement of the partial results of parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026.

Hungary, Israel share 'special relationship,' Prime Minister-elect Peter Magyar says

Magyar also said that Israel was an important economic partner of Hungary, and said that he would aim for a "pragmatic relationship."

PETER MAGYAR, leader of the opposition Tisza Party, speaks during a press conference a day after the parliamentary election, in which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat, Budapest, Hungary, April 13, 2026.

What the fall of Orban and rise of Magyar tells us about the world - analysis

Orban has become a cult-like figure for some in the world. They see him as a right-wing idol who supposedly defended Hungary and the "West."

PETER MAGYAR, leader of the opposition Tisza Party, speaks during a press conference a day after the parliamentary election, in which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat, Budapest, Hungary, April 13, 2026.