From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Herzog meets Hungary’s new PM Magyar in Budapest, invites him to Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
President Isaac Herzog meets Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar in Budapest, in the first meeting between an Israeli leader and Hungary’s new premier since he ousted longtime pro-Israel leader Viktor Orban earlier this year.
According to Herzog’s office, the two discussed “advancing bilateral cooperation and Israel’s relations with the European Union,” as well as regional “challenges” during a private meeting and working lunch with senior Hungarian ministers.
Herzog thanks Magyar’s government for its stance against antisemitism and invites him to visit Israel, an invitation the Hungarian leader appears to accept, telling Herzog: “Thank you for visiting us, and see you in Israel.”
The meeting comes six months after Magyar unseated Orban, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whose 16-year government was among Israel’s staunchest defenders in the EU amid mounting tensions between Brussels and Jerusalem over policies in Gaza and the West Bank.
While Magyar has pledged to maintain strong ties with Israel, his government reversed Orban’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The Times of Israel Community.