Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has begun a trip to Hungary despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November last year on suspicion of war crimes in Gaza. This is Netanyahu’s second trip abroad since the warrant was issued. In February, he traveled to the United States to meet with President Donald Trump, Israel’s biggest supporter. Neither Israel nor the United States are members of the ICC.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited Netanyahu to visit Hungary one day after the ICC issued its warrant. Hungary, a founding member of the ICC, is required to arrest and hand over to the ICC anyone who travels to the country with an outstanding arrest warrant. However, the Hungarian Prime Minister has stated that he will not respect or comply with the ICC’s order. Netanyahu’s four-day trip to Hungary includes a meeting with Orban. Prime Minister Orban has said that the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu is unacceptable. Like Israel, Hungary believes that the ICC has no legal authority to take such action.
In a statement, the ICC said that enforcing its decisions is mandatory for member states. The statement also noted that it is not up to member states to determine the legal validity of ICC decisions.
