Hungary invites Netanyahu despite ICC war crimes warrant
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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.
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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 Francestated in November it would study the implications of enforcing the warrants, given "Israel's" non-signatory status to the Rome Statute.
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.
