Hungary bows out of international court for Netanyahu visit

Hungary on Thursday began the withdrawal procedure from the International Criminal Court, said Gergely Gulyás, chief of staff for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The court, also known as the ICC, has become a political body and is not serving its original purpose, he said. Its 2024 decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the worst example of political agenda, he said. Gulyás’ statement came as Netanyahu on Thursday arrived in Budapest at Orbán’s invitation.

What did the two leaders say? At a Thursday joint press briefing, both leaders spoke about their countries’ partnership and shared values. Orbán said Hungary had zero tolerance for anti-Semitism. He blamed illegal immigration for importing anti-Semitism to Western Europe and said that Hungary’s Jewish community was the safest in Europe.

Orbán said Hungary had purchased defense systems from Israel and wanted to continue cooperating on military security. He also confirmed that Hungary was withdrawing from the ICC, as Gulyás’ said.

Netanyahu thanked Orbán for his country’s strong support for Israel and for leaving the ICC. The Israeli prime minister said that radical Islam, spearheaded by Iran, was at war with Judeo-Christian, Western civilization. He said Hungary was a critical partner in that fight.

How does the ICC require member countries to respond to arrest warrants? ICC members are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they enter the country. But the court has no way to enforce that rule. ICC members Germany and Poland have both announced they will disregard the warrant and welcome Netanyahu if he visits, according to the Hungarian PM’s chief of staff. 

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.