The Art of the Deal
Budapest, Unity, Startup Nation, A Difficult Seating Arrangement, The Deal, Fraudulent Funding: The Weekly Conquest Week of 1.12.25 – 1.18.25
Welcome to the ZioKnight
Week of January 12, 2025
Scenes in Budapest, Hungary
Home Alone style, my family went away without me. Like in the movie, it was my fault. Do not fear. I chose to spend the weekend at a conference in San Diego instead. I thank my Dad for providing this account of Jewish life in the city!
“Is that Hebrew I hear again?” I smiled, turning to my wife and daughter as we exited the Széchenyi Thermal Baths in Pest, Hungary. A text buzzed in from none other than the ZioKnight himself: “How’s life feel like for Jews in Eastern Europe, Dad?”
“It feels safer to wear a kippah here than in Times Square,” I replied.
“Will you write about it in the ZioKnight?” he shot back
Ok, here goes……
The kosher restaurants are packed and proud Jews walk the city streets with as much confidence as the emboldened youth walk Lexington Avenue wearing a Hamas headband in NYC.
Unlike our experience last summer in Denmark and Sweden when we were in fact the “minyan men” (10th person for a quorum), Shabbats minyan in Budapest’s Kazinczy Shul was packed.
Just 85 years ago, what was once a vibrant Jewish community of 800,000, home to the largest synagogue in Europe with a capacity of 3,000, bore the tragic distinction of accounting for one-third of all Jewish murders at Auschwitz.
The single “Free Palestine” graffiti I found walking the streets of Budapest’s 80,000 strong Jewish neighborhood is only visible upon close inspection, as shown in the picture above, which includes a fantastic new paint job and editorialized response.
So, what’s my three-day takeaway on Jewish life in Budapest in 2025? It’s not just about the resilience of Hungary’s Jewish community—it’s about how Hungarian culture now makes space for it. From the ashes of Nazi occupation and Soviet rule, they’ve built something alive and thriving. Maybe it’s time America figured out how to do the same.
Stay tuned—if the ZioKnight lets me take another shot at this next week, I’ll fill you in on my thoughts on Jewish life in Vienna and Prague.
-ZioDad
Sunday 1.12
The West Bank Palestinian leadership (Fatah) condemned Hamas for their tactics surrounding October 7th, just weeks after banning Al Jazeera from the territory. That’s what I call coexistence! [1]
Monday 1.13
Palantir Co-founder Joe Lonsdale proposed a new way to disburse U.S. foreign aid. He mused that it should be allocated similarly to a startup incubator, investing in a market-oriented fashion. I have a sneaking suspicion that he took inspiration from the U.S. and Israel’s arrangement, as it is set up nearly the same way. [2]
Tuesday 1.14
President Ari Berman and Imam Husham Al-Husainy
Trump’s inauguration guest list has been rolling out, and among the invitees is an imam who said Hezbollah isn’t a terrorist group and the president of Yeshiva University. What’s next, they walk into a bar? It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke… [3]
Wednesday 1.15
The 33 Hostages to be Released
Israel and Hamas agreed to a three-phased ceasefire that will take effect on Sunday. Over the first part, a combination of 33 living and deceased hostages will be released in exchange for a temporary pause in fighting, gradual IDF withdrawal, and release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom have committed violent crimes. Sixteen days into the initial 6-week period, negotiations for the second phase will begin. [4][5]
Thursday 1.16
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an anti-Israel group, received fraudulent federal COVID-19 loans. Another one, Code Pink, is being investigated for receiving Chinese Communist Party funding. While I am far from a member of either, I can at least appreciate that JVP bleeds red, white, and blue 🇺🇸. [6][7]
Friday 1.17
Israeli Security Cabinet Agreeing to the Deal
After resolving Hamas’ reported recalcitrance, the Israeli government officially approved the hostage release deal, giving a tentative green light for its quick implementation. [8][9]
Saturday 1.18
Netanyahu at the UN
Israel claimed responsibility for planting explosives in Iranian nuclear centrifuges in 2019. This is the third explosive Israeli export identified this year. My guess is that their cherry tomatoes are next. They already “pop” in your mouth… [10][11]