President Isaac Herzog today, Tuesday, made a state visit to Hungary at the invitation of the country’s President Tamás Sulyok.

President Herzog was received in a state welcoming ceremony at Heroes' Square in Budapest. There, he was greeted by Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok, and the two reviewed the honor guard, and stood for the national anthems of both countries.

The Presidents then together met with the family of Omri Miran who is being held hostage in Gaza, and with Hungarian born Holocaust survivor Aharon Shabo and his family. Aharon, the grandfather of Malkia Gross, who fell in battle in Gaza. Together with his daughter Michal, Malkia’s mother, he presented the President of Hungary, with a commemorative stamp marking 80 years since the Holocaust of Hungarian Jewry.

Omri Miran was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz on October 7. Omri is a Hungarian citizen, and a sign of life was recently received from him via one of the hostages who returned from captivity.

Lishay, Omri’s wife, told the Presidents: “Omri is, first and foremost, a father. He has two little daughters—Roni, who is three and a half, and Alma, who is one year and eleven months old. The last time he saw them, and they saw him, was on October 7, when Alma was only six months old, and Roni was two years old. They themselves were also hostages. We were held hostage together as a family, Omri was taken to Gaza, and I was left with the girls. We are now at an extremely critical moment—both for Israel and for Hamas. We need—I need, my daughters need, and all of Israel needs—the help of every world leader like you to exert pressure so that our nightmare ends. Omri, who is your citizen and my husband, is in stage two of the deal. This week or next, we hope to complete the first stage. We need you to do everything possible so that Omri is released as soon as possible. My daughters need their father.”

The President of Hungary responded to Lishay: “This is self-evident, and it is the least we can do. We will do everything possible to ensure that an Israeli and Hungarian citizen—your husband, the father of your daughters—is released as soon as possible. We will continue to stand by your side. We share your hardship and pain because they are our hardships and pains as well.”