Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Hungary in the coming weeks, according to a statement made by a Hungarian government official on Thursday. The announcement comes despite the existence of an international arrest warrant for Netanyahu related to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Gergely Gulyás, the chief of staff for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, informed reporters during a news conference in Budapest that Netanyahu’s visit is expected to occur before Easter, which this year falls on April 20. Orbán, known for his right-wing populist stance and strong alliance with Netanyahu, has pledged to ignore the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) warrant against the Israeli leader. He accused the ICC, headquartered in The Hague, of attempting to influence active conflicts for political motives.
As a member state of the ICC, Hungary is technically obliged to arrest individuals for whom a warrant has been issued if they enter its territory. However, the ICC lacks a mechanism for enforcing such actions. In contrast, several other European countries that are part of the court have asserted their intention to honor the warrant should Netanyahu visit.
The ICC handed down the arrest warrant in November for Netanyahu, along with his former defense minister and Hamas’ military head, accusing them of committing crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza conflict. The warrants allege that Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used “starvation as a method of warfare” by blocking humanitarian aid and intentionally targeting civilians during Israel’s military operations against Hamas in Gaza. These charges have been refuted by Israeli officials.
During Thursday’s briefing, Gulyás expressed his support for Hungary’s potential withdrawal from the ICC, suggesting the court had shifted its focus from legal proceedings to political activity. However, he acknowledged that the Hungarian government has yet to reach a decision on this matter.
Israel, along with its steadfast ally the United States, does not participate in or recognize the ICC, the sole permanent international tribunal dedicated to addressing war crimes and genocide. Last month, President Donald Trump enacted an executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC in response to its investigations involving Israel. The executive order accused the ICC of undertaking “illegitimate and baseless actions” against the U.S. and Israel and misusing its authority by issuing “unjustified arrest warrants” for figures such as Netanyahu and Gallant.
