'The Hungarians turned their anxiety into hope, that's the main lesson for Israelis'

'The Hungarians turned their anxiety into hope, that's the main lesson for Israelis'

From Haaretz Podcast by Haaretz

April 17, 2026 · 26 min · Season 1 · Episode 496

About this episode

David Issacharoff discusses the implications of Hungary's election results for Israel and the lessons that can be learned.

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…

People in this episode

Guest: David Issacharoff

Topics covered

  • Hungary election
  • Israeli politics
  • authoritarianism
  • hope and anxiety
  • youth activism

Keywords

  • Hungary
  • Netanyahu
  • Orbán
  • election
  • hope
  • anxiety
  • Israeli politics

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Hungary, Israel

More episodes of Haaretz Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Haaretz Podcast podcast page.