Orbán to host Netanyahu in Hungary despite ICC arrest warrant
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (photo: Getty Images)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Hungary next week, despite a warrant for his arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán refuses to comply with this obligation, according to The Times of Israel.
According to the report, Netanyahu plans to meet with Orbán during his visit to Hungary. Orbán invited Netanyahu to visit the country for an official trip after the ICC ruling.
On November 21, 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. They are suspected of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The ICC’s decision prompted a strong reaction from the Israeli government, which condemned the warrants and accused the court of bias. Additionally, in February 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC. He accused the court of "illegally prosecuting the US and its allies," particularly due to the arrest warrants against Israeli officials.
As a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Hungary is legally obligated to enforce arrest warrants issued by the court. Therefore, it is required to arrest Netanyahu during his visit. However, Orbán has assured that he will not do so.
This is not the first time that countries party to the Rome Statute have refused to comply with ICC decisions. For instance, Mongolia did not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin when he visited the country for an official trip. The warrant for Putin was issued in 2023 for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Moreover, Poland promised not to arrest Netanyahu if he decided to attend the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. However, the Israeli Prime Minister did not attend the event.
Notably, Budapest officials had previously stated that they would not arrest Putin if he were to visit Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás called the ICC's decision "unfortunate," as he believed it leads to escalation rather than peace.
