“Hungary is the only EU member state that hasn’t called on Israel to halt its planned ground offensive in Rafah. Orbán is one of the only leaders in the EU who has banned all Palestine-related demonstrations in his country since the Hamas attacks. In Hungarian liberal media, censorship regarding any criticism of Israel and its treatment of the Palestinian people is akin to the silencing of debate in Germany . Orbán’s foreign policy is shaped by his openness to the East — driven not by ideological affinities, or still less human rights issues, but by simple power politics. He is trying to balance positive diplomatic ties with such varied states as Azerbaijan, China, Qatar, Russia, and Turkey. The Hamas attack on October 7 put Orbán in a delicate situation in this sense. Naturally, he expressed his solidarity with the Israeli people and support for Netanyahu, but he has been rather silent ever since.” The “liberal opposition had a historic opportunity to confront the prime minister wi