Hungary Withdraws from International Criminal Court Amid Netanyahu’s Visit

Hungary has announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), just as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the country for a four-day visit with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The timing of this decision is eyebrow-raising, given that Netanyahu is wanted by the ICC on allegations of war crimes in Gaza.

Netanyahu and his wife were greeted with full honors on the tarmac by Hungarian Minister of Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky and Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Maya Kadosh. It's safe to say the red carpet was rolled out for someone whose ICC warrant has been described by Orban as "brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable." Hungary, as a founding member of the ICC, is technically obligated to arrest anyone wanted by the court, but Orban clearly isn’t losing any sleep over that particular responsibility.

Orban's Chief of Staff, Gergely Gulyas, confirmed to state media that Hungary would begin its withdrawal process later today. This move, while dramatic, isn’t entirely out of the blue. Back in February, Orban hinted at dissatisfaction with the ICC, especially after former U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan. Orban’s comment that Hungary should "review what we’re doing in an international organization under U.S. sanctions" was a clear foreshadowing.

Hungary's parliament, dominated by Orban's Fidesz Party, is expected to approve the withdrawal process, which would take roughly a year to complete. Orban has long been an ardent supporter of Netanyahu and Israel, even blocking EU statements critical of the Jewish State.

Israel has outright rejected the ICC’s accusations against Netanyahu and his former defense chief, Yoav Gallant. These charges stem from Israel's military actions in Gaza following Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages taken. According to the ICC, there is reason to believe Netanyahu and Gallant engaged in crimes such as murder, persecution, and using starvation as a weapon of war.

The situation remains highly contentious, with the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health reporting over 50,000 Palestinian deaths during Israel’s Gaza offensive. Meanwhile, Netanyahu continues to receive unwavering support from allies like Orban, who sees no issue standing firmly by his side.