“Hungary supports Israel and is working to combat prejudice against Israel in the United Nations and the European Union”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó declared in an statement published on Sunday in the English edition of The Jerusalem Post.

“I often feel that there are standpoints in both the UN and the EU that are biased against Israel”, said Mr. Szijjártó, who was in Israel on Thursday to discuss preparations for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to Budapest on 18 July.

Mr. Netanyahu is the first Israeli Prime Minister to visit Hungary since 1989, when Hungary became the first country of the former Soviet bloc to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

“Hungary regards itself as a strong friend of Israel, and especially in the European Union, where amongst others it has taken a stand in favour of closer bilateral ties between Israel and the EU”, the Jerusalem Post pointed out.

The EU-Israel Association Council has not met since 2012. According to expectations, the body was supposed to hold a session in March, but the meeting did not take place and no alternative date has been set. According to some diplomats, the delay is related to the fact that the EU is disappointed in Israel’s settlement policy. “We are one of very few EU countries that are making a major effort to convene the session of the Association Council”, stressed the Minister, who said the fact that the meeting had not yet taken place was disrespectful towards Israel.

Mr. Szijjártó highlighted that “a better and more pragmatic cooperation based on mutual advantages” that results in increased economic cooperation would also be in the European Union’s interests and would be useful to the European economy, which is losing its competitiveness.

“We are fully committed to supporting the Middle Eastern peace process and would like both the Israelis and the Palestinians to live in peace and prosper”, Mr. Szijjártó emphasised. The Minister was, however, not prepared to reply to a question concerning the possible moving of the Hungarian Embassy to Jerusalem (from Tel Aviv), stating that: in sports and politics there is no point in sentences that begin with “what if”.

Mr. Szijjártó praised Israeli-Hungarian relations, and said he views the two countries as “political and academic allies”. Hungary would like to reinforce its economic relations with Israel, especially within the field of the automobile industry, de added.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister also drew attention to the cultural renaissance of Hungary’s Jewish communities, pointing out that Hungary is home to many Jewish cultural festivals, the Government has made a significant effort to rebuild and care for synagogues and Jewish cemeteries, has made Holocaust denial a crime punishable by a term in prison, and has proclaimed a policy of zero tolerance with regard to anti-Semitism.

“The Jewish community is a very valuable and integral part of Hungarian society”, the Minister said.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)