On his visit to Hungary Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu was protected from the ICC’s arrest warrant as Hungary said it was withdrawing from the court.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressing European Parliament in October 2024. (European Union 2024– Source: EP/CC-BY-4.0)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, began an official four-day visit to Hungary on Thursday at the invitation of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
[On Thursday, Orban announced that Hungary would be withdrawing from the ICC because it had become too “politicized.” Speaking at a press conference with Orban in Budapest, Netanyahu thanked him for leaving the ICC, branding it a “bold and principled position” against the “corrupt organisation”.]
This is Netanyahu’s first trip to Europe since the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest in late 2024. Activists and watchdog organizations had warned that if Hungary welcomed Netanyahu and ignored its international obligations, it will further stain Europe’s record on the genocide in Gaza.
Some analysts argued that the country is not bound to arrest Netanyahu, claiming the Rome Statute – which outlines such duties – has not been fully transposed into domestic law.
However, international networks, including the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights and the BDS campaign, presented arguments to the contrary. “Failure to do so [arrest Benjamin Netanyahu] would represent a serious violation of Hungary’s obligations under the Rome Statute and send a clear message that alleged war criminals are welcome within the European Union,” Al-Mezan stated.
Hungarian authorities have maintained close ties to the Israeli government throughout the Gaza genocide.
Since Donald Trump’s return to the United States presidency, Orbán has praised his decision to sanction ICC officials over the arrest warrants. Following that move, Hungarian ministers had claimed they would support revising Hungary’s participation in the ICC, which came on Thursday.
There had already been unconfirmed reports from diplomatic sources ahead of Netanyahu’s visit that a decision to withdraw from the ICC had been made.
Netanyahu with Trump on Feb. 4 at the White House as the U.S. president announced his plan to take over Gaza. (The White House, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)
The Hungarian government is far from alone in maintaining cozy relations with Israeli occupation authorities.
European leaders who have criticized Orbán in the past have remained remarkably silent about this visit. Countries such as Romania, Poland, Italy, and France have also indicated they would not act on the ICC warrant should Netanyahu travel to their territory.
German politicians have suggested they would avoid upholding the warrant as well. Finally, in March alone, several EU and national officials met with Netanyahu to, as they described it, maintain and expand “partnerships.”
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, called Israel a “very good partner” during her visit to Israel last week, prompting strong backlash from left and progressive parties.
“What very good partners? In crime? In genocide? In ethnic cleansing?” asked Belgian MEP Marc Botenga. “These words are a shame for the EU. They should never be uttered again.”
The ruins of Gaza after the Israeli airstrikes campaign, Feb. 10. (Jaber Jehad Badwan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) similarly condemned Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ March 30 visit to Jerusalem, where he met with Netanyahu to discuss deepening economic relations and “defense cooperation.”
KKE’s Dimitris Koutsoumbas said the visit is an insult to the Greek people, who have mobilized in solidarity with Palestinians for months: “The stepping up of military cooperation with the murderous state of Israel poses great dangers for the peoples of the entire region and signals the further involvement of our country in imperialist war plans.”
Betrayal, Not Neutrality
Groups including Al-Mezan warn that Europe’s normalization of relations with Israel is deeply troubling and undermines the foundations of international law. “Europe cannot credibly claim to uphold human rights and the rule of law while continuing to welcome and engage with individuals accused of committing atrocity crimes,” the organization stated.
Others have called Europe’s conduct in this context cowardly and complicit, noting it threatens to further erode whatever standing the region might still have in the world.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is not an ordinary head of state,” the Hind Rajab Foundation said. “Hosting him – or allowing his aircraft to pass through national airspace – signals not neutrality, but betrayal. A betrayal of international justice, of the ICC’s authority, and of every victim who has suffered under his command.”
This article is from Peoples Dispatch with updated material from Consortium News.
Views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
Most US presidents since 1950 and their cabinets have been as guiltu of war crimes Netanyahu.
Mossad must have something on Orban.
What this latest move seems to have done is demonstrate that the rot that permeates the EU is end-to-end.
It’s difficult to even know what to say at this point about the capitulation to genocide playing out in front of all of us. It’s surreal. What hold does Israel have over so many world leaders that they willingly excuse the worst atrocities humans can inflict on their fellow humans? This is straight up evil. There can be no other word to describe what is taking place. We must shut this criminal cabal down. It is a moral imperative.
. What hold does Israel have over so many world leaders that they willingly excuse the worst atrocities humans can inflict on their fellow humans? That is the fundamental Question I have been asking myself for quite a while now. I suspect, but do not know and cannot prove, it is the two pillars of international finance and monetary control, headquarters at London, New York, largely dominated by Zionists and their minions, money is power and power corrupts in particular political leaders and big business to ignore even the most horrible crimes as long as dirty money keeps flowing their way. The silence of most world leaders, especially EU and US politicians and business leaders is obviously bought and manipulated, blackmailed into submission by incarnated evil. To find out who is that masked evil one must follow the trail of money. Easier written than done unfortunately.
Interesting how all the European right-wingers, as well as the Greens and most European politicians of all stripes, profess their love for Israel in order to prove they aren’t antisemite Nazis like their grandparents. While in reality they’re exactly the same, condoning genocide. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose…
I no longer admire Orban…
Me, too. Openly siding with the genocidal maniac Netanyahu is a big mistake. Lots of people will react like you and me.
Up until now, Orban has done well by resisting EU dominance and attempts to overthrow him, but this move could well be his undoing.
me too!!!
With you. When in 2024 he stated he would welcome that monster to Hungary he lost me. For all of the good he has stood for as a bulwark against the wrong-headedness of the European Commission and the EU Parliament, his abject obsequiousness to Trump’s obsessive fealty to Israel was the one straw that broke his previously principled and intact winning streak.
How could you, Viktor, how could you?
they are so brazen now. it truly is surreal.
C’mon Orban, get your testicles out of the Zionist purse.
yes, wonder what Orban is gaining from publicly giving head to a genocidal psychopathic criminal? Orban maybe a Zionist himself or just bought by international Zionist finance?? who knows more than I do?