Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a virtual appearance at a "far-right conference" in Budapest last weekend, designed to boost his key European ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as he slumbers into next month's general election.
Netanyahu was due to appear at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) in Hungary in person on Saturday, a conference attended by far-right and populist parties from across the world, but had to cancel due to meetings with security officials regarding the war with Iran.
Instead, the Israeli PM made a video speech, which was played to an audience that included members of far-right parties and figures with a history of Islamophobia and anti-semitism, including the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Netanyahu and other populist politicians rallied in support of Orbán at the conference, who faces a close race in April's election from the leader of the right-wing TISZA coalition, led by Péter Magyar.
In an endorsement of the embattled Hungarian PM, Netanyahu said Orban, "protects common civilization against radical fanatic Muslims... who "threaten everyone in your countries".
"I want to thank my friend Viktor Orbán, who has been a rock… I know many world leaders, but I can tell you that he is right there at the top. Viktor Orbán means stability, safety and security," Netanyahu said, according to Haaretz .
Netanyahu is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for suspected war crimes in Israel's genocide in Gaza, with the PM avoiding most European and airspaces in case he is arrested.
Human Rights Watch had called for Netanyahu to be "arrested on sight" in Hungary but Orbán has made it clear that the Israeli PM is a friend and would face no such danger if he visited the country .
Instead, Netanyahu's son, Yair, attended the event in person, claiming he views Budapest "as a second home" and that "Israel has no better friend in Europe" than Hungary, with its hard-right government.
Yair, who is known for his fiery and controversial rhetoric, also claimed that "weak leaders" in Western Europe had "opened the floodgates of immigration from Muslim countries that brought populations to their countries that don't share the same culture and civilization", feeding into far-right Great Replacement narratives.
"This brought a lot of public unrest and disputes that are not native to this population, that are imported from the Middle East. One of the outcomes is terrorism," he added.
Hungary's parliamentary election will take place on 10 April, which has been described as the most important vote in Europe in 2026, according to Politico.
Orban faces strong competition from his former ally Magyar, whose TISZA part is also on the political right.
Orban is Netanyahu's strongest ally in Europe and last year opened a new embassy branch in Jerusalem, a way of endorsing Israel's false claims to the divided city.