Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited Budapest on 30–31 May as part of his diplomatic tour in Central Europe, during which, besides Hungary, he visited Croatia, Austria and Slovakia. As Cohen explained, the tour aimed to strengthen Israel’s strategic cooperation with its friends and create opportunities to advance its diplomatic and economic interests on the continent. During his visit to Budapest, the Israeli Foreign Minister met with his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó, Hungarian President Katalin Novák and with leaders and representatives of Jewish communities.
On 30 May, the Israeli Foreign Minister visited the Óbuda Synagogue to meet with leaders of EMIH, the Association of United Hungarian Jewish Congregations and MAOIH, the Hungarian Autonomous Orthodox Jewish Community. At the beginning of the meeting, the chief rabbi of EMIH, Slomó Köves, showed the Israeli Foreign Minister around the 200-year-old synagogue and had a private discussion about current issues affecting Hungarian Jewry. During the meeting, the Foreign Minister said that Hungary is one of Israel’s closest allies in the European Union and highlighted that Israel has excellent diplomatic and economic relations with Hungary. The Israeli Minister also emphasised Israel’s commitment to the welfare and safety of the Jewish communities in the diaspora which is why he considered it important to meet with the Jewish diaspora communities on his diplomatic trips.
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