Relationship dossier
Hungary
Israel
Relationship assessment
Political alignment and defense cooperation underpin close Hungary-Israel ties
Hungary toward Israel
+50Hungary has repeatedly used its position in the European Union to block or soften statements critical of Israel, and it has maintained close high-level political engagement with the Israeli government. Hungary also participated in bilateral defense-industrial cooperation.
Israel toward Hungary
+40Israel has pursued high-level political engagement with Hungary, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 2017 visit to Budapest, and has participated in bilateral defense-industrial cooperation.
Overall relationship
+45The relationship is characterized by sustained political engagement and cooperation on defense industries. Hungary's support for Israel in EU settings is a notable feature; the known cooperative agenda supports a positive assessment, while the scope of practical cooperation remains uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Hungary has maintained a notably supportive policy toward Israel, including diplomatic efforts to block or soften EU criticism and close high-level political engagement. The countries have also pursued defense-industrial cooperation. The relationship is cooperative, though its full scope and implementation across policy areas are unclear.
Key developments
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Budapest for high-level talks with the Hungarian government.
Hungary and Israel pursued cooperation on defense production, including plans involving Israeli drone technology in Hungary.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Hungary-Israel defense-industrial cooperation are unclear.
- The extent of cooperation beyond high-level political and defense ties is uncertain.