When I departed Miami this past Friday to attend and speak in Budapest, Hungary at a Pro-Israel summit hosted by the Center for Fundamental Rights, I could never have imagined that my time in Budapest would end doing a TV interview on Newsmax TV and having to hold back tears in front of a national TV audience as I spoke to Bianca de la Garza about the barbaric and savage attacks carried out by the Hamas terrorist organization.
Half way through my flight crossing the Atlantic, friends of mine in Israel started sending me gruesome pictures with no comments or context, just pictures. At first, I couldn’t make sense of what I was looking at but once the videos followed, I knew exactly what carnage I was looking at and what was developing in the homeland of the Jewish people. Israel was under attack.
Shortly after landing, the summit organizers sent all speakers a communication expressing their overwhelming support for Israel and the Jewish community. They also advised that the summit would be pivoting in a different direction to stand in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish community.
A summit that was originally going to highlight the Abraham Accords and other great success stories pivoted into a somber yet powerful summit.
Even with all of the pain and grief that we all were feeling, my eyes were opened in the most amazing way possible to who and what the Hungarian people are and what they stand for.
In retrospect, I suppose I’m not surprised because my grandparents were both raised by Hungarian parents that were born in Hungary in the 1870’s. My grandparents were hard working, humble, kind and strong personalities. Similar to what I experienced with everyone I met here in Budapest.
Throughout my visit, it was an honor for me to have conversations with senior Hungarian officials such as Hungarian Minister of Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczk, Hungarian Minister of Justice Judit Varga and Hungarian Ambassador to the United States Szabolcs Takács.
All of my conversations with these government officials had a very common theme:
- Each one told me that Hungary has always supported Israel and we will not waver now or ever.
- A deep commitment to a zero tolerance policy towards Antisemitism and a strong sense of Hungarian pride from this Christian majority nation on how their Jewish community feels safe here and has rarely experienced any type of Antisemitism.
- Lastly, a deep commitment to Judeo-Christian values that provide the very foundation for a moral, sane and strong society.
In addition to speaking with Hungarian officials, I’ve spoken with scores of Hungarian citizens and leaders from the Center for Fundamental rights that also shared their government’s commitment to the points referenced above. When I arrived at the conference, I was greeted by Dr. Miklós Szánthó, Director General of the Center with a big hug and words of support for my people.
It’s worth noting that most of these individuals that I’ve mentioned are not Jewish, they are Christian.
My last night in Budapest was Tuesday and I organized a dinner with some of my Israeli friends who were in town at the conference.
One of my friends was running a little late to dinner because he had been invited on Hungarian TV for an interview.
When he arrived at dinner, he told us that once his interview was done that they asked him to come into the control room for a minute before leaving. He had no idea what would happen next.
As he walked into the control room, he saw the Israeli flag on every screen in the room and everyone in the room standed to give him an applause and many have him hugs. Wow.
As painful as the last 72 hours have been for many of us here in Budapest, we have been deeply moved by the overwhelming level of genuine support and unwavering love for the State of Israel, the Israeli people and the Jewish communities around the world from the Hungarian people. It’s a level of support that I sadly don’t feel in the United States of America and wish I did if I’m being honest.
But it’s not difficult to understand why we have experienced the feelings of total strangers lifting us up when many of us could barely put words on our tongues to talk about this modern day Holocaust.
When it comes to political leadership, it all starts at the top. At the very onset of the videos being released of the savage and barbaric attacks by Hamas, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sent out a tweet saying: “We strongly condemn the brutal attack against #Israel , and unequivocally support Israel’s right to self-defence. I would like to express my sympathy and condolences to Prime Minister @netanyahu . Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Israel in these dark hours.”
Shortly there after, I started seeing similar messages from other Hungarian officials – messages that I would later have said to my face at the summit.
This type of clear-eyed leadership and unwavering resolve in words and actions is refreshing especially as I see Antisemitism rising in America and thousands of Americans taking to the streets of every big city in America to support Hamas in the last 48 hours.
As my time wraps up here in Budapest, I must say that I felt safer as a Jew walking the streets of Budapest than I will when I return home to Florida tomorrow. That in itself is a truly sad state of affairs for my country and one that needs to change not today or tomorrow but yesterday.
Just as I will never forget where I was when I watched the second plane crash into the second World Trade Tower, I will never forget that I was in Budapest when +1,000 Israelis were slaughtered by the Tehran-backed Hamas terrorist group.
I will never forget the love and support I saw and felt from those who were at the time complete strangers that I know will now be lifelong friends and strategic partners.
Hardships have a way of bringing people together as the good combats the evil.
Thank you, Hungary, for your friendship and support. I will never forget and nor will the State of Israel and the Jewish community.
The entire world can learn a great deal from your political leaders, your people and your values. Thank you.
Bryan E. Leib, Executive Director of CASEPAC
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