The whole world can learn a lot from your political leaders, people and values. Thanks! - says Bryan Leib, executive director of CASEPAC, to the Hungarian people.
When I left Miami last Friday to attend and speak at a pro-Israel summit in Budapest organized by the Center for Fundamental Rights, I never imagined that my time in Budapest would end with me giving a TV interview to Newsmax TV and trying to hold back the tears in front of a national TV audience as I speak to Bianca de la Garza about the barbaric and savage attacks carried out by the terrorist organization Hamas. By Bryan Leib, Executive Director of CASEPAC.
I was flying over the Atlantic Ocean when my friends in Israel started sending me horrible pictures without comment or context. At first I couldn't understand what I saw, but after I received the videos, I understood exactly what carnage I was seeing, what was happening in the homeland of the Jewish people. Israel is under attack.
Shortly after landing, summit organizers sent a statement to all speakers expressing their support for Israel and the Jewish community. They also wrote that the summit will be about solidarity with Israel and the Jewish community.
The summit, originally intended to discuss the Abraham Accords and other great success stories, turned into a somber but powerful summit.
Despite the pain and grief of all of us, I understood in the most wonderful way possible what the Hungarian people are like and what they represent.
In retrospect, I think I shouldn't have been surprised: my grandparents were both raised by Hungarian parents who were born in Hungary in the 1870s. My grandparents were hardworking, humble, kind and strong personalities. Similar to what I experienced with everyone I met here in Budapest.
During my visit, I was honored to talk with high-ranking Hungarian officials such as Minister of National Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, former Minister of Justice Judit Varga and Hungarian Ambassador to the United States Takács Szabolcs.
There were three recurring themes in my conversations with these government officials:
1) Everyone told me that Hungary has always supported Israel, and we will not waver now or ever.
2) Deep commitment to a policy of zero tolerance towards anti-Semitism. This Christian nation is proud that the local Jewish community feels safe here and rarely experiences any anti-Semitism.
3) Finally, a deep commitment to the Judeo-Christian values that form the basis of a moral, sane and strong society.
In addition to conversations with Hungarian officials, I spoke with many Hungarian citizens and the head of the Center for Fundamental Rights, who also shared their government's commitment to the above-mentioned points. When I arrived at the conference, Dr. Miklós Szánthó, the director general of the Center, greeted me with a huge hug and words of support. It is worth noting that most of the people I mentioned are not Jews, but Christians.
My last night in Budapest was on Tuesday. I organized a dinner with some Israeli friends who were in town for the conference.
One of my friends was a little late for dinner because he was invited to a Hungarian TV for an interview.
When he arrived at the dinner, he said that after the interview was done, he was asked to come into the control room for a minute before departure. He had no idea what would happen next.
As he walked into the control room, he saw the Israeli flag on every screen in the room and everyone in the room gave him a standing ovation and many hugged him.
As painful as the last 72 hours were for many of us here in Budapest, we were deeply moved by the overwhelmingly sincere support and unwavering love for the State of Israel, the Israeli people and the Jewish communities. It's a level of support that, to be honest, I don't feel in the United States of America. I wish I could feel it.
But it is not difficult to understand why complete strangers stood by us when it was difficult for many of us to talk about the Holocaust of our day.
When it comes to political leadership, it all starts at the top. At the beginning of the publication of videos of the savage and barbaric attacks by Hamas, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a Twitter message:
"We strongly condemn the brutal attack on Israel and we unequivocally support Israel's right to self-defense. I would like to express my sympathy and condolences to Prime Minister Netanyahu. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Israel in these dark hours.”
- written by.
This kind of visionary leadership and unwavering resolve in word and deed is refreshing, especially when I see anti-Semitism at home: in the last 48 hours, thousands of Americans have taken to the streets in every major city in America to support Hamas.
As my time here in Budapest comes to an end, I have to say that I felt safer as a Jew walking the streets of Budapest than I would tomorrow back home in Florida.
Just as I will never forget where I was when I watched the second plane crash into the second twin towers, I will never forget being in Budapest when more than a thousand Israelis were massacred by the Tehran-backed terrorist group Hamas.
I will never forget the love and support I received and felt from those who were complete strangers at the time, and who I know will be lifelong friends and strategic partners from now on.
Adversity has the ability to bring people together as good fights evil.
Thank you, Hungary, for your friendship and support. I will never forget it, and neither will the state of Israel and the Jewish community.
The whole world can learn a lot from your political leaders, people and values. Thanks!
Bryan Leib, Executive Director of CASEPAC
Featured image: Yong Kim/Philadelphia Inquirer
