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Our Honorable Guest, President of Hungary, Mr. Laszlo Solyom,
Madam Speaker of the Knesset,
Government Ministers,
Members of Knesset,
The Israel Knesset is honored to welcome you, our friend, distinguished President of the Republic of Hungary. The State of Israel, home of many of your nationals and their descendants, is well aware of the long history, which ties our two peoples together – periods of light and periods of thick shadows which included suffering, persecution and hardship for Jews, because they were Jews, even in your country. Israel warmly welcomes you as the highest representative of a nation of deep roots and a rich culture, which, two decades ago, tore up the Iron Curtain and opened wide the gates of liberty and democracy.
The people of Israel followed with appreciation and solidarity the heroic and tragic attempt of the Hungarian people in 1956 to extricate themselves from the clutches of Soviet oppression. The collapse of the Soviet Union and Hungary's new found freedom opened a new and glorious chapter in the relations between our countries. We remember well that Hungary was the first among the countries of the former Communist bloc to renew its diplomatic ties with the State of Israel.
Since then, the relations between us have grown deeper on the political, economic and culture spheres. We appreciate your country's standing and policies in the framework of the European Union (regarding the Middle East conflict, the war on terror and the effort to curb the grave danger embodied in the fundamentalist axis headed by Tehran).
We are pleased to see the increasingly expanding economic, scientific and technological ties, as well as the diverse cultural-educational activity, which constitutes the realization of the bilateral cultural agreement signed between our countries.
Hungarians have left an indelible mark on every aspect of our lives in Israel – beginning with the Budapest-born visionary of the State, Theodore Herzl to Ferenc Kishont, who is none other than our Ephraim Kishon, caricaturist and father of "Srulik", Dosh (the late Kariel Gardosh) and our friend, Tomy Lapid, may he enjoy long life, who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, as well as many others. They carried with them a great legacy, affinity to and love for the landscape and culture of Hungary.
However, in the hearts of Hungarian Jews, and in the hearts of our entire nation, lies a deep wound over the destruction of a glorious Jewish community, whose fate was sealed following the Nazi occupation in the final stages of World War II and the rule of the fascist Hungarian Arrow Cross party.
Today's Jewish community in Hungary remains one of the largest in Europe. It enjoys respect, freedom and prosperity. However, I must express to you, sir, our concern regarding manifestations of animosity and anti-Semitism on the part of radical circles, as marginal as they may be, in your country, as in other countries across Europe.
As an illustrious jurist, who supports freedom of expression, you, Mr. President, have expressed your clear stand against these abhorrent manifestations. I am certain that you will continue to set an example to your people and to the other countries of the European Union.
Dear Distinguished Guest,
Your visit to our country takes place at a difficult time of severe escalation in the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror attacks, supported by Iran, against cities and communities in the south of Israel. Rampant rocket firing from the Gaza Strip against our citizens has been going on for seven years and Israel will be forced to step up its operations until we achieve cessation of terror from Gaza against our citizens. I hope and believe that the Government of Hungary will understand and support, together with the other members of the European Union, those necessary steps that we will take in order to put an end to this intolerable situation. Israel seeks peace and aspires to achieving it.
In these very days, negotiations launched at Annapolis between the President of the Palestinian Authority Abu-Mazen, Prime Minister Salem Fayyad and me, continue. However, Israel will not acquiesce to the continued rocket firing and the attempts to establish a Hezbollah-like armed, terrorist and fundamentalist military base on its border.
Honorable President,
It is a pleasure for me to warmly welcome you, on behalf of the State of Israel and in the name of the Government of Israel. I have no doubt that your visit here will greatly contribute to the enhancement of friendship and cooperation between our peoples.
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