Israel’s Netanyahu to Visit Hungary Despite ICC Arrest Warrant

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will arrive in Hungary on an official visit in the next few weeks, despite the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Gaza.

The ICC issued in November arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The war crimes include using “starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, told a news conference in Budapest on Thursday that Netanyahu would likely visit Hungary before Easter, which falls this year on April 20.

“According to current plans, Netanyahu will arrive before Easter. Once the date of the visit is confirmed, we will, of course, announce it, taking into account the extremely important security considerations in this case,” he said.

Gulyás added he would “very much support” Hungary withdrawing from the ICC, claiming it had “lost its meaning by conducting political instead of legal activities.” Hungary’s government, however, has not made any decision on the matter, he added.

Orban invited Netanyahu to visit Hungary last November, saying he would guarantee that the ICC arrest warrant would “not be observed.”

Member countries of the ICC, such as Hungary, are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil, but the court has no way to enforce that.

Neither Israel nor its close ally the United States is a a member of or recognises the ICC, the world’s only permanent global tribunal for war crimes and genocide.

The court has more than 120 member states, though some countries have already said that they would not arrest him.

Last month, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the court over investigations of Israel. The order accused the ICC of engaging in “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel” and of abusing its power by issuing “baseless arrest warrants” against Netanyahu and Gallant.