Theodor Herzl Square in front of synagogue temporarily renamed October 7 Square

The commemoration on Sunday and the renaming of the square were jointly organised by the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities (Mazsihisz), the Budapest Jewish Religious Community (BZSH) and the Budapest municipal administration.

Israeli ambassador to Hungary Yacov Hadas-Handelsman expressed in a speech gratitude for the symbolic renaming of the square and for Hungarian solidarity. He said the square’s renaming was “symbolic” as Herzl, who dreamt up the formation of the state of Israel, was born here, and the perpetrators of the October 7 terrorist attack had wanted to destroy his dream.

Mazsihisz president Andor Grosz said October 7 was for Israel what September 11 meant for the United States, adding that both attacks were committed by fanatical Islamists.

Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karacsony said there was “no place in Budapest” for demonstrations that legitimised or relativised violence, and this is something that the government and the opposition agreed on. “We share the pain of the Israeli people,” he said. National Chief Rabbi Robert Frolich highlighted the suffering of the remaining hostages.