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Right-wing governments like Hungary and Poland, which openly criticize the policies of the European Union despite belonging to them, have come closer to Israel even as some are accused of "stultifying". Semitism. And Netanyahu pushes this trend forward.
In Israel, during a three-day visit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is the last of the leaders of these countries to visit the country. Orban has been warmly welcomed by Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders, and must travel to the Western Wall on Friday morning before returning home.
Now, for his fourth term, the Hungarian leader has been accused of anti-Semitism, mainly for his attacks. on the Jewish Hungarian survivor of the Holocaust, George Soros. Orban has also established a platform that is vigorously anti-immigrant. The Hungarian leader repressed non-governmental organizations, opposition parties and independent media, consolidating the power of his own party with a broad victory in the April elections
Yair Lapid, member of the Opposition, called the visit of Orban "disgrace" that Netanyahu honors a man who "praised the anti-Semitic leader who collaborated with the Nazis in the annihilation of the Hungarian Jewish community". Last year, Orban paid tribute to Miklos Horthy, the Hungarian leader of the Second World War who promulgated anti-Jewish laws and was an ally of Nazi Germany.
None of this is of importance to Netanyahu, who has rubbed shoulders with European leaders, to find common ground in shared interests. Netanyahu has brought Israel closer to conservative and populist leaders pushing anti-immigrant messages across Europe, reflecting Netanyahu's ties to President Donald Trump's administration.
Hungary is perhaps the clearest example of partnerships emerging. Netanyahu and Orban both took uncompromising positions on immigration. Netanyahu worked to expel thousands of African migrants from Israel, while Orban likened immigration to an "influenza epidemic." Hungary has even built a barrier along its southern border with Serbia and Croatia to stop migration, comparable to the Israeli barrier along the Egyptian border, which halted Sinai migration.
The two leaders have demonized Hungarian billionaire George Soros, a Jewish philanthropist who donates to many causes and liberal organizations through his Open Society Foundations. The Orban campaign against Soros included a campaign slogan: "Do not let Soros laugh! while the country's foreign minister called Soros "a risk to national security".
Orban is not the only right-wing European politician adopted by Netanyahu in recent months. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz made his first official visit to Israel in June. His coalition includes the far-right Freedom party, founded by former Nazis in the 1950s. Israel boycotted the party, but not the Kurz government. Netanyahu called Kurz "a true friend of Israel" during his visit, thanking him for opposing anti-Semitism in Austria.
More recently, Netanyahu showed up where he was ready to go for better ties with Poland. After Poland passed a highly controversial Holocaust law making it illegal to accuse Poland of complicity in Nazi war crimes, Netanyahu and his Polish counterpart issued a joint statement downplaying the role of Poles in the death of the Jews who were trying to solve the problem. The Israeli museum Yad Vashem Holocaust criticized the statement as containing "serious errors and deceptions".
In the context of warming relations, Netanyahu sought diplomatic success for Israel. Beyond the improvement of economic and trade relations, the final victory would be the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the relocation of embassies there, and Israel has encouraged countries like Hungary and the Czech Republic to get there.
The countries of Central Europe have, so far, rebuffed the movement of the embassy, although the Czechs – led by right-wing President Milos Zeman – have announced that they have not been able to do so. they would open an honorary consulate in Jerusalem.
claimed smaller diplomatic victories. Hungary, Poland, Croatia and the Czech Republic all abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution in December condemning US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel . Although the resolution was still adopted by an overwhelming majority, the European abstentions represented a split in the unanimity of the European Union.
If Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to widen a gap between the United States and the EU, Netanyahu wants to divide the EU on its own. Not politically or economically, but diplomatically. The apparent goal of Netanyahu is to break the bloc's consensus on Israel.
The Israeli leader has long criticized the EU's policies towards Israel, and the EU has also been critical of the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, among others. things.
In Orban, Netanyahu found another criticism of the EU. Orban also criticized the bloc, concentrating much of his criticism on his migration policy.
While the EU struggles to cope with the problem of migrants, uncertainty about Brexit and how to deal with Trump, leaders like Netanyahu's preferred approach by the EU's unity on foreign policy. In the EU's weakness, the Israeli prime minister feels the opportunity.
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