Hungary’s ‘illiberal’ Orban, Israel’s staunchest friend in the EU

Hungary’s long-standing ties with Israel will be on display when its nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban receives Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in Budapest on Thursday — despite the latter being wanted under an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.

The relationship with Israel has strengthened since the start of the war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Palestinian militant group Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. Israel’s broad and devastating offensive in reaction gave rise…