“The decision of the Hungarian Government to open the foreign trade representation in Jerusalem is an act of defiance to the U.N. resolutions concerning Jerusalem. This is a provocative and illegal move that will increase the destabilizing of the security in the region. We highly reject this act and demand that Hungary respect the International Law and U.N. resolutions relevant to Jerusalem.” – H.E. Manuel Hassassian
On February 19, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that the Hungarian government will open a foreign trade representation in Jerusalem. His Excellency held talks with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning the matter. In a joint press statement released after the meeting, Mr. Orbán highlighted that he had updated his Israeli counterpart on the upcoming elections to the European Parliament (EP), the goal of which, he said, will be to combat antisemitism in Europe and protect and defend Israel.
Hungary’s position on Jerusalem contradicts its principled position on Jerusalem and opens avenues for violations of International Law including the Fourth Geneva Convention and the charter of the U.N. Security Council Resolutions. Moreover, it is in total contradiction to the European Union position that views the status of Jerusalem will be resolved according to all resolutions pertaining to the occupied status of the city.
The Palestinian people and its leadership strongly condemn this act of violation and aspires for a reversal decision by the Prime Minister of Hungary in order to de-escalate the already volatile and tensed atmosphere prevailing in the occupied territories due to the brutal policies of Israeli occupation against innocent civilians.