STRETCHING THE BOUNDARIES OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE: LESSONS FROM HUNGARY AND ISRAEL

Based on the case studies of Hungary and Israel, this article proposes an expansion of the term ‘political violence’ to encompass the phenomenon of using harsh language followed by punitive measures, which are not necessarily physical. It aims to gain additional power, intimidate opponents, and narrow the public and political abilities of social and political forces with a different ideology. One major consequence is a transition from a democratic regime to a non-democratic one. The paper concludes that political violence is currently mainly verbal in Israel, but in Hungary, it also has the practical dimension of hurting the government’s political opponents. This policy has a direct implication on the state national identity, which is in both cases a more national-religious one.