Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Hungary in the upcoming weeks, according to a Hungarian minister on Thursday. Despite an international arrest warrant for Netanyahu related to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, announced during a press conference in Budapest that Netanyahu is likely to visit Hungary before Easter, which falls on April 20 this year.
Orbán, a right-wing populist and a strong ally of Netanyahu, had previously stated that Hungary would not comply with the International Criminal Court’s warrant against Netanyahu. The ICC warrant, issued in November, accuses Netanyahu, his former defense minister, and Hamas’ military chief of crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict. Several European countries who are members of the ICC have announced they would enforce the warrant if Netanyahu enters their territories.
Gulyás expressed support for Hungary’s potential withdrawal from the ICC, citing concerns that the court has shifted towards political rather than legal activities. However, Hungary’s government has not made a decision on this matter.
It is worth noting that neither Israel nor the United States recognizes the ICC, which is the world’s sole permanent global tribunal for war crimes and genocide. Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the court over its investigations of Israel, accusing the ICC of unjustly targeting the U.S. and Israel with baseless actions and arrest warrants.
