A pro-Palestine activist has been expelled after disrupting a lecture by an Israeli professor at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest. The incident occurred on October 16th, when Alexander Yakobson—a historian from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem—was scheduled to speak as part of a course titled “Diversity and Democracy in Israeli Society.”
According to eyewitnesses, a group of pro-Palestinian students wearing keffiyehs interrupted the event, shouting and refusing to leave, despite repeated requests. Security guards were unable to restore order, and the lecture was eventually cancelled. The organizers later confirmed that the course would continue online after the disruption.
In response, Hungary’s Ministry of Culture and Innovation announced that the student involved would be excluded from the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program. Minister Balázs Hankó stated, “Hungary is not only an ally, but also a friend of Israel.” He added that Hungary rejects all forms of antisemitism and emphasized, “We cannot remain silent about the events at Eötvös Loránd University, where an Israeli professor’s lecture was disrupted. I have investigated the matter and initiated the withdrawal of the scholarship of the student concerned.”
Hankó also ordered the Tempus Public Foundation to update its contracts, ensuring that any scholarship recipient who “endangers the peace or security of the Hungarian nation” will have their funding revoked immediately.
The minister’s remarks came after his meeting in Budapest with Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch, during which the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in higher education, research, and innovation.
Hungary’s firm stance contrasts sharply with the growing tolerance of anti-Israel activism across Western Europe.
Similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in Europe. At University College London last week, an anti-Israel mob “besieged a campus building,” preventing students from attending a Jewish history event until police intervened.
