Netanyahu in Budapest: half of the city will be paralysed in the following days – here are the closures
The Israeli prime minister’s visit to the Hungarian capital was postponed yesterday, but well before dawn, his plane finally landed at Budapest Airport. Netanyahu was welcomed by Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungary’s defence minister, at the airport instead of the Hungarian police. That is because PM Orbán and his government made it clear that they would not arrest him in Hungary regardless of the relevant ruling of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. In the next few days, traffic will change in the Hungarian capital: here are the details.
Netanyahu arrived in Budapest
Netanyahu was received by Szalay-Bobrovniczky with a military salute at the airport following the prime ministerial plane’s landing after 1:30 AM. Netanyahu was invited by Orbán last November. Netanyahu will participate in multiple programmes in the following days, so half of the city will be closed to traffic to help his delegation move freely and quickly. After he landed at the airport, the M4-M0-M3 motorways and the Kacsóh Pongrác Street, the Andrássy Avenue, the József Attila Street, Széchenyi István Square and the Chain Bridge were temporarily closed for traffic.
Half of the city’s downtown will be closed to traffic today
Between 9:30 and 10:00 AM and 7:00-7:30 PM, the József Attila Street – Széchenyi István Square – Chain Bridge – Clark Ádám Square – Lánchíd Street – Apród Street – Attila Street – Palota Street – Dísz Square route will be closed for traffic intermittently and periodically. The same will happen on the Buda Castle – Palota Street – Krisztina Promenade / Attila Street – Apród Street – Lánchíd Street – Clark Ádám Square – Chain Bridge – Széchényi István Square – József Attila Street between 2.20 PM and 3 PM, 9:50 PM and 10:20 PM.
During the closure of the Oktogon (6 April), trams 4 and 6 will commute to the Nyugati railway station from the Széll Kálmán Square and the Király Street station from South Buda. Night buses will also miss their Oktogon station. During the closure of the Chain Bridge (today), buses 16 and 178 will commute on a shortened route while bus nr 105 will commute on the Margaret Bridge. Trams 2, 2B and 23 will not stop at their stations between the Eötvös Square and Zsil Street. Tram nr 19 will not carry passengers to the Chain Bridge station, while trams 41 and 56A will commute on a modified route, just like bus nr 5. During Netanyahu’s journey to and back from the castle, the Buda Castle Funicular will not be in service, Blikk wrote.
He will remain until Sunday
Netanyahu will remain in Budapest on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Budapest Transport Centre promised detailed information about the exact closures later.
Between 1 April and 6 April, it is forbidden to stop in several places in Budapest, including the Heroes’ Square, Széchenyi Bath, Kodály körönd, Oktogon, Jókai Square, Liszt Ferenc Square, József Attila, Sas, and Akadémia streets. You may check out the full list HERE.
Police map shows additional road closures, prime ministerial programme
Thankfully, the Hungarian police shared a map concerning the street closures and car stop bans. The closed roads are red, while blue marks the streets and squares where stopping with a car will be forbidden in the next few days (with the date and time interval also given). Check it out HERE.
Based on the map, Netanyahu will travel today to Buda Castle from Széchenyi István Square, where he probably resides during his visit (the Israeli embassy is in the 2nd district of Budapest, in Buda). Also, today, he will visit the Hungarian Parliament, which is very close to the Széchenyi István Square. It would probably take only 15 minutes to walk between the two places, but it seems he will travel by car because the streets between the two venues will be closed between noon and 4:30 PM.
For some reason, tomorrow, the József Attila Street – Múzeum Promenade – Üllői Street will be closed for traffic between 11 AM and 4:30 PM. It seems that Netanyahu will visit something or someone near Orczy Garden since the final destination of that route is the Nagyvárad Square metro station. He might go to the Ludovika University of Public Service, which has its main campus there.
According to the map, Netanyahu and his delegation will leave Budapest on Sunday on the M3-M0-M4 route, so the József Attila Street – Andrássy Avenue – M3 motorway entrance will be closed to traffic.
Purpose and background of the visit
During Netanyahu’s visit, the main topics of discussion with Orbán will include deepening cooperation between the two countries in defence, innovation, energy, and trade. Regional security and developments in the Middle East will also be on the agenda.
Another key aspect of the visit is Netanyahu’s intention to secure Hungary’s support for Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza. In February, Trump presented a vision to transform Gaza into a Mediterranean resort area, a proposal that has been widely disputed and deeply controversial.
Counter-terrorism unit coordinating security during Netanyahu visit
Hungary’s counter-terrorism force TEK is coordinating personal security operations during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Budapest visit, TEK said on Thursday. TEK “assesses all circumstances and information and makes preparations for and takes all necessary actions in continuous coordination with all parties,” TEK’s PR department said.
TEK added that the Hungarian police, disaster management authority and the ambulance service are involved in its operations. The interior ministry said on its website that security operations were aimed at “preserving the life and physical integrity of Benjamin Netanyahu, protecting his locations and routes, as well as securing the official programmes attended and ensuring health services.” The ministry also said the operations were designed to cause the smallest possible inconvenience to local residents, and traffic restrictions would be in force for the shortest time.
Read also:
- Israeli PM Netanyahu’s four-day visit to Budapest: major traffic restrictions, ICC arrest warrant – read more HERE
- Heated debate in the EP on Hungary: ‘Authoritarian police state’