dailyloe.com – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be the next global ally of President Donald Trump to face political defeat, following Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. Yonatan Levi, a scholar at the center-left think tank Molad, traveled to Hungary earlier this year to study opposition leader Péter Magyar’s winning campaign. Levi and his colleagues see Netanyahu as a kindred spirit to Hungary’s defeated autocrat. Israel “is not the Middle East’s Hungary yet,” Levi says, “but it’s getting closer and closer.”
Opposition parties are bullish on taking down Netanyahu, with defending democracy central to their campaign. Inside Israel, Netanyahu’s opponents are most animated by domestic issues. They fear his ultimate aim is to demolish Israel’s remaining democratic institutions and stay in power indefinitely. This is a reasonable concern, according to the source.
Netanyahu’s government has put cronies in charge of Israel’s security services. It has demonized the Arab minority, persecuted left-wing activists, and pushed legislation to put the judiciary under his control. Netanyahu is currently on trial for corruption, with the most serious charges stemming from a scheme to trade regulatory favors for favorable news coverage. President Donald Trump is actively pushing Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant him a pardon.
Netanyahu’s tactics come directly from the playbook Viktor Orbán used to hold power in Hungary for nearly 20 years. The two leaders know each other well. Orbán’s Hungary has become a major part of Israeli political discourse. Netanyahu held a press conference with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on December 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida.
