In Orbán loss, Netanyahu sees his closest European ally defeated | CNN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saw his closest European ally soundly defeated in the Hungarian elections on Sunday. The result is a blow to Israel’s longest-serving leader in an election year and has emboldened the country’s opposition, who see the upcoming vote, scheduled for October, as a critical moment for the nation. Like US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu openly endorsed Orbán, recording a personal video endorsement for him at CPAC. “Viktor Orbán means safety, security, stability,” Netanyahu said in the pre-recorded statement. His son, Yair, who has cultivated his own ties with Orbán’s Fidesz party, attended the event in person, calling Budapest “almost a second home.” Netanyahu has also praised Orbán’s ostensible steps against antisemitism, even as the Hungarian leader has himself faced accusations of antisemitism for rewriting Hungary’s holocaust history and negative portrayals of left-leaning Jewish philanthropist George Soros and Ukrainian leader Volodomyr Zelensky. In a statement on social media on Monday, Netanyahu called Orbán a “true friend of Israel, who stood firmly by Israel’s side in the face of unjust international vilifica