Noa Sattath, Director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Visits Hungary: 'The Change Came Suddenly'

Noa Sattath, executive director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, visited Hungary six months after Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat. She describes the democratic camp's celebrations and the complexities of rebuilding democracy, drawing comparisons to Israel and potential lessons.

For nearly a year in 2023, Israelis protested against the government, chanting 'This is not Hungary.' Now, six months after Viktor Orbán's defeat in Hungary's elections, Noa Sattath, executive director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, writes about her visit to Budapest and the lessons for Israel. She attended the 'Budapest Forum,' an annual conference on liberal democracy, and heard from Hungarian activists how, after years of seemingly futile political work, change came unexpectedly. The activists estimated it would take 10–15 years to replace the government, but it happened faster. The article paints a complex picture: on one hand, a freer court system, liberated media, arrests of former ministers, and repeal of anti-LGBTQ+ laws; on the other, populist appointments, slow dismantling of Orbán's laws, and fears of revenge and deepening polarization. Sattath notes that Israel, unlike Hungary, faces additional challenges of occupation and war, but the Hungarian experience shows that change can come quickly if citizens maintain political awareness.

Noa Sattath, Director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Visits Hungary: 'The Change Came Suddenly'