Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
The Mujahideen Movement: The two were killed along with dozens of others from their family in a cowardly Zionist assassination that targeted the Sabra neighborhood today
The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement mourns the martyrdom of its Secretary-General, Asaad Attiya Abu Sharia "Abu Al-Sheikh", along with his brother Ahmad
Abu Zaid: I believe that the Iranian operation was multi-layered, combining cyber and electronic attacks with coordinated on-the-ground infiltrations by agents
Abu Zaid: Usually, archives of such sensitivity are typically protected by a full-scale security system, but it appears that Iranian intelligence managed to make use of a gap in it
Strategic military expert Nidal Abu Zaid: Iran has stripped "Israel" of the superiority and deterrence long boasted by its security minister, chief of staff, and other top officials
Fallahpour: Iran may use these documents in its battle with the United States and Western countries over its nuclear program
Fallahpour: Iran may have obtained additional documents related to "Israel's" regional projects, not just its nuclear program
Fallahpour: The coming weeks will be full of surprises, as Iran has forced Israeli intelligence agencies into a state of psychological exhaustion
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Tehran, Siavash Fallahpour: Iran has redefined the concept of deterrence, shifting it away from traditional military balance toward a new strategic framework
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Number of documents so great that merely studying them, along with accompanying images and footage will require a great deal of time.

Hungary invites Netanyahu despite ICC war crimes warrant

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Financial Times
  • 23 Jan 2025 21:28
3 Min Read

Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed the invitation but did not clarify how Hungary, a signatory to the Rome Statute, would handle its legal obligation to arrest Netanyahu if he visited.

Listen
  • x
  • @gidonsaar
    From left, "Israel's" Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar meets Péter Szijjártó, Hungary's top diplomat, on Thursday (X,@gidonsaar)

The Financial Times on Thursday reported that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has extended an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant against him for war crimes in Gaza.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, confirmed the invitation but did not clarify how Hungary, a signatory to the Rome Statute, would handle its legal obligation to arrest Netanyahu if he were to visit.

"It's a standing invitation, it's live. If he can accept it, we will be happy to receive him here," Szijjártó said during a press conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in Budapest.

He criticized the ICC's decision, calling it an example of "modern age antisemitism," and claimed the arrest warrants had "discredited" the court. "These politically motivated decisions affect our plans and ideas about co-operating with it in the future," he added.

Ambiguity among ICC member states

Hungary's position aligns with other countries, such as Poland and France, that have expressed reluctance to enforce the ICC warrants.

Poland earlier announced that Israeli officials attending Holocaust commemorations in Auschwitz would be shielded from arrest, while France stated in November it would study the implications of enforcing the warrants, given "Israel's" non-signatory status to the Rome Statute.

Related News

Orbán slams Ukraine's EU accession as economic threat to Europe

Hungary to block EU ban on Russian energy, Orban says

Sa'ar expressed gratitude to Hungary for its stance. "Thank you for standing with Israel against the politicised, corrupted ICC arrest warrants," he said, adding that Netanyahu would visit Hungary "at the first opportunity he can."

He added that the Israeli regime is facing "a very difficult time," but Netanyahu would prioritize the visit when possible.

Read more: Netanyahu in hot seat, IOF 'ground down to crumbs': Israeli media

Justice undermined

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Security Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Gaza and crimes against humanity.

"Israel" attempted to challenge the ICC's decision by submitting a direct appeal to the Court’s Appeals Chamber, contesting the Pre-Trial Chamber I’s rejection of "Israel's" jurisdictional challenge under Article 19(2) of the Rome Statute.

However, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan clarified that the decision does not constitute a ruling "with respect to jurisdiction" and, as such, is not subject to direct appeal under Article 82(1)(a) of the Statute.

Challenges to ICC’s authority

The arrest warrants have sparked controversy, with some countries questioning the ICC's jurisdiction and enforceability.

Italy and Poland assured Netanyahu that he would not face arrest if he visited, citing diplomatic immunity for sitting heads of state under international conventions.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan defended the court's decision, stating that "Israel" has made "no real effort" to investigate war crimes in Gaza.

"We haven't seen any real effort by the State of Israel to take action that would meet the established jurisprudence," Khan said in an interview a week ago.

  • Hungary
  • Peter Szijjarto
  • International Criminal Court
  • ICC
  • Gaza genocide
  • Benjamin Netanyahu
  • war crimes
  • Gideon Sa'ar

Most Read

Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam meets with US envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut on April 5, 2025 (Dalati Nohra via AP)AP)

Morgan Ortagus to exit US role in Lebanon amid policy shift

  • Politics
  • 1 Jun 2025
A Palestinian woman mourns as she embraces the body of her daughter Mayar Abu Odeh, 8, who was killed in an Israeli army strike on Gaza. at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP)

French port workers block arms shipment to 'Israel' amid Gaza genocide

  • Politics
  • 4 Jun 2025
New Syrian group claims Golan strike, vows resistance to 'Israel'

New Syrian group claims Golan strike, vows resistance to 'Israel'

  • Politics
  • 4 Jun 2025
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP)

Boston Consulting Group withdraws from GHF

  • Palestine
  • 3 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/pentagon-chief--nato-likely-to-back-trump-s-5--defence-spend
Politics

Europe spent $3 trillion on defense, but got little in return - FT

Power, parties, and scandal: Trump’s ties to Epstein: Telegraph
Europe

Power, parties, and scandal: Trump’s ties to Epstein - The Telegraph

Eilat port as seen from the sea, occupied Palestine, March 12 2009 (wikimedia commons)
Politics

YAF operations forced 80% plunge in Eilat port revenues in 2024

EU backs International Criminal Court after US sanctions judges
Europe

EU backs International Criminal Court after US sanctions judges

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS