The dramatic landslide election in Hungary toppling authoritarian populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, resonated deeply for Israel in diverse ways, explained Haaretz’s David Issacharoff, who covered the election from Budapest, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast. 

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters, it meant the loss of his “closest ally” in Europe who would no longer stand up for Israel by pulling out of the International Criminal Court when it issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders – and bucking the European Union in defense of the Jewish state. 

For Israelis desperate to rid themselves of Netanyahu’s leadership, the end of Orbán’s 16-year reign offers inspiration. Issacharoff noted that young anti-Orbán voters he interviewed “said exactly the same things that many young Israelis believe too: that he’s been making their country a pariah, and they don’t feel part of the wider world anymore.” 

Although the two countries are very different, there are lessons from the Hungarian campaign of Péter Magyar, and Netanyahu’s opponents must learn them. The biggest lesson? "Turning the anxiety into hope." 

Read more:

Hungary's PM-elect Magyar Signals Shift in Israel Policy With Return to International Criminal Court

'It Won't Get Worse': After 16-years Under Orbán, Hungary's Jews Are Split Over What Comes Next

'We Hope You Can Do It Too': How Israel Echoed in Hungary's Election

Hungry for Hungary: Why Are Netanyahu's Ministers Flocking to Budapest?

Could Orbán's Crushing Defeat Be a Blueprint for Netanyahu's Opponents?