Benjamin Netanyahu and Viktor Orbán shake hands as they give a joint press conference in Budapest, Hungary, on July 18, 2017.
The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) has condemned Hungary for refusing to comply with its arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will visit the central European country on Thursday.
The court’s spokesperson, Fadi El Abdallah, said during a press briefing on Wednesday that it is not for parties to the ICC “to unilaterally determine the soundness of the Court’s legal decisions.”
The spokesperson further stated that participating states must enforce the court’s decisions.
“Any dispute concerning the judicial functions of the Court shall be settled by the decision of the Court,” El Ebdallah added.
Netanyahu was expected to touch down in Budapest on Wednesday evening for a four-day trip, at the invitation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The far-right Hungarian leader invited his Israeli counterpart despite Netanyahu being formally charged with the use of starvation as a method of warfare and committing crimes against humanity, including extermination, during the genocidal war in Gaza.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former war minister, Yoav Gallant, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity on November 21, 2024.
The warrants were issued after assessing there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
As a member state of the ICC, Hungary is obliged to arrest Netanyahu upon his arrival in the central European country and surrender him to the court.
However, Orban and his administration have made it abundantly clear that they will not comply with the ICC’s ruling and requirements.
Media reports also indicated that Hungary may withdraw from the ICC this week.
Rights groups have called upon Hungary to arrest and surrender Netanyahu to the ICC ahead of his reported visit to the country.
The European Green Party also called for Netanyahu to be arrested and face the ICC trial.
“The European Union and national governments have a duty to uphold international law and ensure accountability for war crimes and human rights abuses,” said the party co-chair, Ciaran Cuffe, in a statement.
“By ignoring the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu, Viktor Orban is showing the same disregard for the rule of law on the international stage that he has consistently shown in Hungary,” Cuffe added.
By hosting Netanyahu, the Hungarian government continues to demonstrate contempt for international law and human rights.
Human rights advocates say any trip he takes to an ICC member state that does not end in his arrest would embolden Israel to commit further crimes against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories.
