Samaria governor Yossi Dagan has concluded a two-day blitz of meetings in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, aimed at strengthening the veto against European Union sanctions on residents of Judea and Samaria, opposing a Palestinian state, and bolstering support for sovereignty.
After holding a meeting with the Hungarian foreign minister in his office, Dagan was invited to a formal meeting with Secretary of State Miklós Soltész in his office at the Prime Minister's Office in Budapest.
The government secretary operates within Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's office and is responsible, among other things, for relations with religious communities in Hungary.
Against the backdrop of moves led by French President Emmanuel Macron and other European Union countries to recognize a Palestinian state, the leadership of Judea and Samaria is engaged in a campaign to block a Palestinian state and is demanding that sovereignty be applied to Judea and Samaria as early as September.
The Samaria Regional Council says the meeting is particularly significant at this time because Hungary holds the right to veto EU sanctions. The meeting held over the weekend is the first time a head of a Judea and Samaria authority has been invited to a formal meeting in the office of a Secretary of State within the European Union.
During the meeting, which took place with the assistance of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and with the participation of Ambassador Maya Kadosh, Dagan presented the Secretary of State with a relief map of the State of Israel and explained the need to halt attempts in Europe to establish a Palestinian state in the heart of Israel, in Judea and Samaria, and the security importance of Samaria and the towns in Judea and Samaria for the existence of the State of Israel, especially after the Octobner 7th massacre. He also emphasized Samaria's significance in Jewish history, as the land of the Bible.
Also at the meeting he raised with the Secretary of State the great necessity of blocking sanction initiatives against the State of Israel, especially in Judea and Samaria, and he worked to recruit Hungary's support during the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.
During the meeting Dagan presented the Secretary of State with the Samaria Medal as a token of appreciation for his support for the State of Israel, Judea, and Samaria.
Soltész declared, "We consider Israel's independence and the struggle it is conducting to be especially important in these difficult weeks, months and years. Hungary will always be a friend of Israel and of the people of Israel. I warmly commend all those in the ancient land of Judea and Samaria who fight day by day for their faith, for their nation and for their community. We share the same roots, the same way of thinking and the same values. We stand in solidarity with all who suffer in these difficult times, who fight for their people and for their ancient land."
Dagan said, "The meeting in Budapest is a significant boost for the settlements and for the people of Israel as a whole. Hungary is showing the world that it is possible to stand by Israel even in difficult times, and not to yield to pressures to establish a Palestinian state in the heart of the country. This courageous leadership gives backing to our demand to finally bring full Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria — not as a favor to the settlers alone but as a necessary step for the security and future of the State of Israel. Samaria is the heart of the country, both historically and from a security perspective, and we expect other countries in Europe and around the world to follow Hungary's path and stand unreservedly with the State of Israel."