It was a bad week for Israel in Europe: the country lost its staunchest regional ally when Viktor Orbán was toppled from power in Hungary, and Italy suspended a key defence pact.
The shifts are likely to pave the way for long-delayed sanctions against violent settlers in the occupied West Bank, and add to broader pressure for the EU to reconsider its relationship with Israel over its wars in Gaza and the wider region.
“Hungary’s veto was the only thing preventing the package of sanctions against violent settlers,” said Maya Sion-Tzidkiyahu, the director of the Israel-Europe relations programme at the Mitvim thinktank and a lecturer at the European forum of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“I expect once the [new] Tisza government is in place, that would be one of the first things the EU would like to push, and it should be easy for [Péter] Magyar to say yes. Netanyahu is on the wrong side of history from the perspective of many Europeans, and he is a symbol for Orbán.”
Italy suspended automatic renewal of a key defence pact the day after it was renewed for 5 years.
So in other words Italy didn’t suspend a key defence pact. And in 5 years once people have moved on and Palestine is entirely annexed whatever government is next will manually renew it.
I mean, when your two best allies in the world are Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán, and you are cozy with Vladimir Putin, you really should revisit your genocidal priorities in life, don’t you think?
I expect once the [new] Tisza government is in place, that would be one of the first things the EU would like to push
I’ve learned not to expect nice things from the EU, but hey maybe.
Please
We can only hope.
