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Hungary to pull out of ICC as Netanyahu visits Budapest Hungary to pull out of ICC as Netanyahu visits Budapest
(about 1 hour later)
Israeli PM meets Viktor Orbán despite international arrest warrant over allegations of war crimes in GazaIsraeli PM meets Viktor Orbán despite international arrest warrant over allegations of war crimes in Gaza
Hungary has said it will begin the process of withdrawing from the international criminal court, hours after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu – the subject of an ICC arrest warrant – arrived in the country for an official visit.Hungary has said it will begin the process of withdrawing from the international criminal court, hours after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu – the subject of an ICC arrest warrant – arrived in the country for an official visit.
“Hungary will withdraw from the ICC,” Gergely Gulyás, prime minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff, said. “The government will initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework.” “Hungary will exit the ICC,” Gergely Gulyás, prime minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff, said. “The government will initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework.”
The announcement came shortly after Netanyahu, who has been under an international arrest warrant since November over allegations of war crimes in Gaza, was greeted at Budapest airport in the early hours of Thursday morning by Hungary’s defence minister. The announcement came shortly after Netanyahu, who has been under an international arrest warrant since November over allegations of war crimes in Gaza, landed at Budapest airport in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Withdrawing from the court, to which all 27 EU members belong, would entail passing a bill through parliament, which is dominated by Orbàn’s Fidesz party, and would be expected to take up to a year. Leaving the court, to which all 27 EU members belong, would entail first passing a bill through parliament, dominated by Orbàn’s Fidesz party, then formally notifying the UN secretary general’s office. Withdrawal comes into effect one year later.
Orbán invited his Israeli counterpart to visit the day after the Hague-based ICC, the world’s only permanent global tribunal for war crimes and genocide, issued the warrant, described by Israel as politically motivated and fuelled by antisemitism. The Dutch foreign minister, Caspar Veldkamp, told reporters on the sidelines of a Nato meeting in Brussels on Thursday that as long as Hungary remained officially a member of the ICC, it should “fulfil all its obligations to the court”.
Netanhayu’s government has also alleged the court lost its legitimacy by issuing the warrants against a democratically elected leader of a country exercising the right of self-defence after the October 2023 attack by Hamas-led fighters on southern Israel. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, posted on social media: “I commend Hungary’s important decision to withdraw from the ICC … Thank you Hungary for your clear and strong moral stance alongside Israel and the principles of justice and sovereignty!”
In principle, Hungary – which signed the ICC’s founding document in 1999 and ratified it in 2001 – should be required to detain and extradite anyone subject to a warrant from the court, but Budapest has argued the law was never promulgated. Saar added that the “so-called international criminal court” had “lost its moral authority after trampling the fundamental principles of international law in its zest for harming Israel’s right to self-defence”.
“It was never made part of Hungarian law,” Gulyás said late last year, meaning no ICC measure can be legally carried out within Hungary. Orbán in any case said he would not respect the ruling, calling it “brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable”. Netanyahu was welcomed in Budapest in an official ceremony, standing alongside Orbán as a military band played and cavalry carrying swords and bayonets passed by. He is expected to tour Budapest’s Holocaust Museum and hold a number of political meetings before leaving on Sunday.
Orbán invited his Israeli counterpart to visit the day after The Hague-based ICC, the world’s only permanent global tribunal for war crimes and genocide, issued the warrant, described by Israel as politically motivated and fuelled by antisemitism.
Netanhayu’s government has also said the court lost its legitimacy by issuing the warrants against a democratically elected leader of a country exercising the right of self-defence after the October 2023 attack by Hamas-led fighters on southern Israel.
In principle, Hungary, which signed the ICC’s founding document in 1999 and ratified it in 2001, should be required to detain and extradite anyone subject to a warrant from the court, but Budapest has argued the law was never promulgated.
“It was never made part of Hungarian law,” Gulyás said late last year, meaning no ICC measure can be legally carried out within Hungary. Orbán, in any case, said he would not respect the ruling, calling it “brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable”.
Hungary’s illiberal prime minister told reporters in November that he would “guarantee” the ICC’s ruling would “have no effect in Hungary”, and has floated the prospect of pulling his country out of the court on several occasions since.Hungary’s illiberal prime minister told reporters in November that he would “guarantee” the ICC’s ruling would “have no effect in Hungary”, and has floated the prospect of pulling his country out of the court on several occasions since.
“It’s time for Hungary to review what we’re doing in an international organisation that is under US sanctions,” Orbàn said on in February when Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan.“It’s time for Hungary to review what we’re doing in an international organisation that is under US sanctions,” Orbàn said on in February when Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan.
Orbàn has been a strong supporter of Netanyahu for many years, embracing Israel’s rightwing prime minister as an ally who shares the same nationalist and sovereigntist views. Hungary has frequently blocked EU statements or sanctions against Israel. Orbàn has strongly supported Netanyahu for many years, embracing Israel’s rightwing prime minister as an ally who shares the same nationalist and authoritarian views. Hungary has frequently blocked EU statements or sanctions against Israel.
The visit marks Netanyahu’s second trip abroad since ICC warrants were announced against him and his former defence chief, as well as for the Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri. In February, he travelled to the US, which like Israel is not a member of the ICC. The visit marks Netanyahu’s second trip abroad since ICC warrants were announced against him and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant, as well as for the Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri. In February, he travelled to the US, which – like Israel, Russia and China – is not a member of the ICC.
ICC judges said when they issued the warrant that there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and his former defence chief were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and starvation as a weapon of war. For the Israeli prime minister, the visit is a chance to show – at a time of mounting criticism of his leadership and a lengthening list of domestic scandals – that despite widespread international opposition to Israel’s conduct of the war he remains a leader on the world stage. For Orbàn, it is another act of attention-grabbing defiance.
ICC judges said when they issued the warrant that there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and starvation as a weapon of war.
EU members are divided over whether to enforce the warrants, with some, such as Spain, the Netherlands and Finland, saying they would definitely enforce them and others, including Germany, suggesting they could find a way for Netanyahu to visit without being arrested.
The court, whose 124 members also include the UK, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan and many African, Latin American and Asia-Pacific countries, aims to pursue people responsible for grave crimes when countries cannot or will not do so themselves.
It has opened more than 30 cases for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and offences against the administration of justice, but is hampered by a lack of recognition and enforcement. Only Burundi and the Philippines have so far left the ICC.