In Hungary, unlike in many Western European countries, there were no pro-Palestinian demonstrations after 7 October. However, this seems to have changed. On Tuesday, the first pro-Palestinian demonstrators—a group of mainly foreign, non-Hungarian nationals—in Hungary attended a conference on Hamas’ sexual violence against women, organized by the Danube Institute.
Speakers at the conference included Israel’s Ambassador to Hungary, Jakov Hadas-Handelsman, and a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). According to Hetek, Hadas-Handelsman’s speech had been ongoing for about 15 minutes when the first pro-Palestinian demonstrators started shouting the usual slogans: ‘Free Palestine,’ ‘From the river to the sea…’ etc.
When members of the security detail of the ambassador escorted them out, more protesters stood up, shouting every ten minutes or so. Despite the provocation, the conference was not interrupted, but the ambassador left the venue. Shortly afterwards, the
protesters blockaded the entrance to the building.
Following the incident, Israeli influencer Shirel Liberman, one of the speakers at the conference, told Hetek that she regretted that an event on the subject of sexual violence against women and men on 7 October was disrupted. She added that they were all open to dialogue and ready to talk and answer difficult questions, but in her view, the aim of this action was ‘solely to provoke and disrupt.’
According to press reports, the police are already investigating whether the protesters have committed a violation or a crime. Early Wednesday evening, the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) issued a statement that the young woman seen acting violently in the press footage had been identified. By the afternoon,
the 26-year-old Tunisian citizen was brought to the police station and questioned on suspicion of assault.
A warrant of caption has been issued against the other individuals who disrupted the event.
The Israeli Embassy in Hungary issued a statement following the incident, shared on X. The Embassy called the interrupting of the event shameful, stressing that ‘free speech and open discussion are vital for democracy and understanding, however free speech should never be used to silence other voices as was the attempt yesterday.’
Yesterday, during an event on the sexual violence of Hamas on October 7, some guests used provocations to interrupt the event.
— IzraelMagyarországon (@IsraelinHungary) May 22, 2024
Interrupting an event focusing on sexual violence is a shameful act, regardless of the identity of the speakers.
Free speech and open discussion are…
As the news about the incident at the conference broke, Mandiner also reported in their coverage that Budapest has been flooded with pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel graffiti, citing a letter from a reader. In the last seven months, it was almost unheard of to see slogans like ‘Free Gaza,’ ‘Free Palestine,’ or ‘Boycott Israel’ in the Hungarian capital, but now such graffiti has appeared in several places. ‘Presumably, the same pro-Palestinian organization that started graffitiing the city with “Free Palestine” signs disrupted the Israeli ambassador’s speech at the conference. This means that the conflict is being imported into Hungary,’ a reader who sent the pictures to Mandiner believes.
Just as pro-Palestinian actors are beginning to emerge in Hungary, the international community is increasingly taking an anti-Israel stance. As reported by Hungarian Conservative, this week Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, said in an interview that he had requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leader of Hamas in Gaza, among others.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called the decision ‘absurd and shameful’ on X.
On Wednesday, three European countries—Spain, Ireland, and Norway—announced their recognition of Palestine as a sovereign independent state, effective from 28 May. In response, Israel recalled its ambassadors from these countries. According to press reports, three other EU member states—Slovenia, Malta, and Belgium—may follow suit.
Related articles:
