Nemeth: ‘International community must choose between terrorism, democracy’

After attending the second working day in the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg, Zsolt Nemeth told MTI by phone that a long-term solution must be sought for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but terrorism must not be part of the solution.

“A choice must be made, whether the international community would follow the path of the Hamas terrorists … or set out on the path of democracy and international law,” he said. “Hungary recommends the latter and Hungary represents the latter,” he added.

One must not forget that the Hamas Islamist terrorist organisation’s October 7 attack was the cause of the current situation, he said.

“It was a barbaric act, the most barbaric terrorist act of recent history,” he added.

Israel has the right to self-defence, Nemeth said. The right to the freedom of assembly and to free speech must not extend to promoting terrorism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Israeli sentiments, he added.

“Setting the hostages free must not be subject to negotiation,” he said.

Access to humanitarian aid must be ensured to the Palestinian residents of Gaza, Nemeth added.

“The goal of the attack was to make the conflict more international but this must be prevented by all means,” he said.