For the third time, the Center for Fundamental Rights organized the International Pro-Israel Summit in Budapest. This year’s event focused on promoting peace in the Middle East and tackling the growing terrorism and antisemitism in Europe that are linked to illegal mass immigration that the continent has witnessed for more than a decade.
The opening panel discussion was introduced by Chairman of the Board at the Oeconomus Economic Research Foundation Péter Törcsi, who said that Israel is not only Hungary’s friend and ally, but also ‘one of the most important guarantees of our peace and security.’ According to Törcsi, a strong and stable Israel is essential for peace in the Middle East and to prevent new waves of illegal migration toward Europe. ‘If terror defeats Israel, the next target will be Christian Europe,’ he added.
A peaceful and secure Middle East is unimaginable without Israel, but it also requires a strong America and a strong Hungary. ‘We are Israel’s strongest allies in Europe!’—he declared in his opening speech for the panel discussion titled: The Middle East in 2025.
The panel hosted Vice President of the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute Fred Fleitz, who said that Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan achieved significant results and could truly give the Middle East a new chance at peaceful coexistence. In this context, he spoke about Trump’s ‘peace through strength’ foreign policy and the Abraham Accords, a peace initiative also based on economic cooperation. He sees significant potential to expand the accords, naming Saudi Arabia, Oman, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan as possible future participants.
‘If terror defeats Israel, the next target will be Christian Europe’
Fleitz, who also served as Chief of Staff of the National Security Council during the first Trump administration, emphasized that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains very fragile. He noted that Europe mostly watched from the sidelines during the peace efforts in the Middle East. Nevertheless, several European states tried to derail peace by prioritizing the declaration of a Palestinian state over Israel’s often-voiced security concerns.
According to him, the primary goal of Trump’s peace plan was not the establishment of a Palestinian state, but the promotion of peace and security for the region and for Israel.
President of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem Peter Švec offered a more pessimistic view, stating that the war is not yet over. He warned that while all eyes are on Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran are becoming active again, and thus Israel and its allies must remain prepared.
Robert C Castel, a Hungarian Israeli security policy expert at the Center for Fundamental Rights, pointed out that domestic political considerations in the US may also have influenced the peace agreement in Sharm el-Sheikh. He suggested that one of Donald Trump’s goals was to show results before the midterm elections. Fred Fleitz concluded his remarks by saying that, for the fragile ceasefire to become a genuine peace, the support of as many countries as possible—including Hungary—is needed. He called Hungary Israel’s best friend in Europe.
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