Hungary welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu despite an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, while the country plans to withdraw from the court.
Hungarian Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky greeted Netanyahu upon arrival at Budapest Airport on Thursday and shared a Facebook post stating, “Welcome to Budapest, Benjamin Netanyahu.”
During the visit, Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán before holding a press conference.
Orbán had invited Netanyahu despite the ICC warrant issued last year, which he previously condemned as “shameful.”
Hungary’s ICC Withdrawal
On Thursday, Hungary’s government announced it would begin the process of withdrawing from the International Criminal Court, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival in Budapest for a state visit. The move comes shortly after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who invited Netanyahu to Budapest in November, just a day after the warrant was issued, has firmly opposed the ICC’s decision. Orbán called the warrant “brazen, cynical, and completely unacceptable.” Although Hungary signed the ICC’s founding document in 1999 and ratified the Rome Statute in 2001, it has never fully integrated the court’s rulings into its national law, a loophole pointed out by Orbán’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás.
As a founding member of the ICC, Hungary is legally required to enforce arrest warrants issued by the court. However, Orbán had made it clear that Budapest would not comply with the warrant against Netanyahu.
Netanyahu arrived in Hungary despite the ICC arrest warrant, the Hungarian Defense Minister published photos from the airport.
This is Netanyahu’s first trip to Europe since the warrant was issued in November last year.
Hungarian Prime Minister Orban promised that Budapest… pic.twitter.com/biYBchNYyj
— Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) April 3, 2025
Netanyahu’s Foreign Trips
This marks Netanyahu’s second international trip since the ICC issued arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last November. While details of his agenda remain unclear, a visit to a Holocaust memorial is planned.
In February, Netanyahu traveled to Washington, where he met with his close ally, former US President Donald Trump.
Neither Israel nor the United States are ICC members, with both countries arguing that the court could be used for politically motivated prosecutions.
Israel’s war on Gaza has led to the deaths of over 50,000 Palestinians and widespread destruction, triggering global protests. South Africa has also filed a case at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide.
Ongoing Genocide
The renewed Israeli violence on March 18 has broken a ceasefire that began on January 19. The latest military actions have killed hundreds of Palestinians and injured many more, primarily civilians, including women and children.
While the violations have been condemned by numerous countries and human rights groups, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.
(PC, AJA)
” In February, Netanyahu traveled to Washington, where he met with his close ally, former US President Donald Trump. ”
This makes no sense, since Trump was already into his 2nd term in February.
Nazinyahu is above the law. But this is only because he pretends to be Jewish. If he was Arab, he’d be arrested, deported, rotting in jail, raped by homo Israeli prison guards. Hungary should have arrested him and his wife.