FM Sa'ar meets with Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó in Budapest
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
FM Sa'ar: "The PA never stopped Pay-for-Slay. They just changed the method. The terrorists are collecting their payments from the Palestinian Post Office. And the PA is now making additional payments to evil terrorists released as part of the deal."
Type: Press Releases
Topic: Foreign Policy, Innovative Israel
Secondary topic: Economic
Publish Date: 27.10.2025
Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar met today (Monday, 27 October 2025) with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
This meeting in Budapest marks the eighth meeting between the two ministers.
Minister Sa'ar was accompanied on his visit to Hungary by the largest Israeli business delegation ever to travel to the country.
The two ministers held a one-on-one meeting, followed by an expanded meeting with their respective teams.
After their meeting, they held a joint press conference.
Full Speech:
"My dear friend, Foreign Minister of Hungary Péter Szijjártó,
It's always good to be back in Budapest.
This is my third visit here as Foreign Minister. It is our eighth meeting since I assumed office a year ago.
The friendship between our nations is closer than ever.
Hungary, under Prime Minister Orban's leadership, is a country with a clear moral dimension in its foreign policy.
We see that in your unwavering support for Israel.
And we saw it in your historic decision to withdraw from the corrupt so-called "International Criminal Court".
Last week - another corrupt body - the "International Court of Justice" - published a morally distorted Advisory Opinion regarding UNRWA.
UNRWA is a UN Agency infested with Hamas terrorists that took part in the October 7th massacre.
We will never cooperate with this evil organization.
I say it clearly - we completely reject the attempt of the so-called "International Courts", to tie our hands and force us to accept things that endanger our security.
We reject the attempt to weaponize international law and harm the sovereignty of proud, independent nations such as Israel, Hungary and the United States of America.
Because it's not law. It's politics.
****
Peter,
I am here today with the largest-ever economic delegation of Israeli businesses to Hungary.
Around 50 businesspeople and heads of the leading Israeli economic organizations are in Budapest with me today.
I thank all the business leaders for coming.
The delegation will meet with Hungary's business leadership.
They will focus on cyber and homeland security, space and communications, food, medicine, agriculture, technology and energy.
This delegation showcases Israeli innovation at its finest.
There will be over 150 business meetings between Israeli and Hungarian businesses.
There is huge potential for mutual investments and economic cooperation between Israel and Hungary.
This delegation represents the true and warm friendship between our nations.
It's an expression of our mutual desire to take them to new heights.
Our governments are very close.
And we are eager to even further strengthen economic and people-to-people relations between Israel and Hungary. And we already saw lately a huge increase in Israeli tourism to Hungary.
***
Minister,
Israel is fully committed to working toward the success of President Trump's Plan.
In the first stage of the agreement, 20 of our living hostages were released after over two years of cruel captivity in the dungeons of Gaza.
Among them, was Israeli-Hungarian citizen Omri Miran.
Both Israel and Hungary were overjoyed to see Omri reunited with his wife Lishay and his daughters Roni and Alma.
Hungary played in an important role in the fight for Omri's freedom.
You remember our conversations on the matter and the efforts we both made.
As a token of his appreciation, Omri asked me to personally deliver a letter thanking you - dear Minister - along with Prime Minister Orban and President Sulyok.
The people of Israel will never forget your part in the struggle for Omri's freedom.
Thank you!
But the struggle is not over yet.
Hamas is still holding 13 of our slain hostages.
This is a clear violation of the agreement.
We know it can easily return most of the remaining hostages.
It is slowly trickling their return to delay the second phase of disarmament.
Hamas is barbarically abusing the families who have waited for more than two years and simply want to lay their sons to rest.
Hamas must immediately return all of the bodies that it is holding!
***
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Contrary to the PA's promises in English, they are continuing their Pay-for-Slay Policy.
Paying salaries to terrorists and their families for murdering Jews and Israelis - has been Palestinian law since 2004 and until this very day.
The PA rewards Palestinian terrorists - including Hamas - with Jewish blood on their hands: Those sitting in jail and those released for example in the last deal.
The PA never stopped Pay-for-Slay. They just changed the method. The terrorists are collecting their payments from the Palestinian Post office.
And the PA is now making additional payments to evil terrorists released as part of the deal.
Instead of holding the PA accountable - the European Union whitewashes it.
They ignore the distorted, ongoing crime of Pay for Slay. The practical meaning of encouraging terrorism.
They seek to reward the PA with a terror state of their own.
Hungary has been a unique and clear moral voice in Europe - calling for accountability, which is a Western value, for the PA and an end to its support for terror.
But the money of EU taxpayers is still going to the PA unconditionally.
It's funding the terrorists.
European leaders are ignoring Pay-for-Slay and giving the PA legitimacy - without accountability.
This pushes peace further away.
It allows the PA to continue its incitement against Israel and Jews in its school textbooks, kindergartens, mosques and Palestinian media.
This poisons the mind of the next generation by filling it with hate.
President Trump's 20-point plan made it clear: the PA will not be whitewashed without real reforms.
It referred to the 2020 "Deal of the Century" which said, and I quote:
The "PA shall take all necessary actions to immediately terminate the paying of salaries to terrorists serving sentences in Israeli prisons, as well as to the families of deceased terrorists."
Until this day - the PA has failed to meet the required criteria, as determined by President Trump.
I call on responsible and moral European leaders to follow the example set by Hungary in Europe.
Hold the PA accountable!
Stop Pay-for-Slay now!
***
I want to finish by thanking you Peter, for your warm hospitality as always, here in this beautiful stadium.
I hope to repay it by hosting you again in Jerusalem - very, very soon! And we already discussed that.
Thank you."
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