Israel's silence on Hungary's anti-LGBTQ laws raises Western concerns - editorial

The Foreign Ministry confirmed this week that Israel had declined to join dozens of European and other Western countries in signing on to a declaration led by the United States condemning the anti-LGBTQ laws currently being enacted in Hungary. The only European Union member state to abstain from the condemnation was Poland.

The move to censure the Hungarian government headed by populist leader Viktor Orbán comes after the country’s second-largest bookstore chain was fined 12 million forints (roughly NIS 130,800 or $36,000) for selling popular LGBTQ young adult novel Heartstopper without closed packaging.

Hungary has cracked down on the LGBTQ community in recent years in what Orbán has called a defense of the country’s Christian values. As part of the crackdown, a law was introduced in 2021 that banned the “display and promotion of homosexuality” to people under the age of 18 – and which the bookstore chain is accused of violating.

Israel's diplomatic balancing act 

The condemnation issued by the US and its allies stressed their concern “with legislation and political rhetoric, including in Hungary, that is in tension with principles of non-discrimination, international human rights law, and human dignity, and contributes to stigmatization of the LGBTQ community.”

Israel views Hungary as one of its closest allies in the EU, and the country has blocked anti-Israel motions on more than one occasion, including in 2021 when it prevented the EU from taking a formal position on Operation Guardian of the Walls, which targeted terrorists in Gaza.

While Israel may not want to rock the boat when it comes to its relations with allies in the EU, the lack of condemnation from a country that regularly – and rightly – touts its status as the most LGBTQ-friendly place in the Middle East seems to be the latest in a string of eyebrow-raising diplomatic decisions.

Unusual diplomatic moves raise concerns 

Although Israel has provided humanitarian aid and diplomatic support to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, for instance, the country has thus far refused to join the US and other Western countries in extending military aid to the beleaguered country.

And while Israel did vote in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion and calling for an end to the war, the country was represented not by its permanent representative to the UN but by his deputy, in a move interpreted by some as an attempt to downplay the significance of the message.

Here, too, Israeli decision-makers cited the Jewish state’s complex diplomatic and security situation and the need to avoid unduly angering Russia, which maintains a significant presence in Syria and on which Israel relies to enable it to carry out airstrikes against hostile targets in the country.

Israel's careful navigation of global geopolitics 

The current Israeli government has also been at the receiving end of criticism from both the US and the EU regarding the judicial reform legislation and what many of these countries perceive as an extremist shift in Israel’s government.

While Israel is entitled to determine its own laws and domestic policies without outside influence, and while it must always bear its strategic interests in mind, choosing to remain silent as Hungary passes laws against the LGBTQ community is an unflattering look for a country that is already being criticized for policies and legislation perceived as being at odds with Western norms.

In the latest version of the Economist Democracy Index, one of the most influential indices in the world, Hungary was positioned in the 56th spot out of 167 countries and was labeled a “flawed democracy.” Russia was far lower on the list, clinching the 146th spot and the dubious title of “authoritarian.”

Implications for Israel's standing in the democracy index 

If Israel wishes to keep its current ranking in the respectable 29th place – one slot, it should be noted, above the US – the government ought to consider which relationships it prioritizes and what domestic agenda it promotes.

And as it continues to push forward the judicial reform legislation – a source of deep concern for those in Israel and elsewhere who fear it will damage Israel’s democracy – and walk between the raindrops of global geopolitics, the government would do well to heed the counsel of kindred democracies and of its most avid supporters if it wishes to fall on the right side of history.