Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, saying he would guarantee that an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu would "not be observed".
The ICC issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Netanyahu and his former defence chief, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.
Orban, whose country holds the European Union's rotating six-month presidency, told state radio that the ICC's arrest warrant was "wrong" and said the Israeli leader would be able to conduct negotiations in Hungary "in adequate safety".
"Today I will invite Israel's prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu, for a visit to Hungary and in that invite I will guarantee him that if he comes, the ICC ruling will have no effect in Hungary, and we will not follow its contents," Orban said.
Since Orban and his nationalist Fidesz party swept to power in 2010, he and Netanyahu have forged close political relations. Netanyahu visited Budapest in 2017.
Israeli leaders and the White House have strongly condemned the ICC decision, while EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the warrants were not political and that all EU member states should respect and implement the court decision.
Within the EU, Hungary and the Czech Republic have been strong backers of Israel, while countries such as Spain and Ireland stress their support for the Palestinians.
The Czech Foreign Ministry, responding to the ICC decision, said Prague would respect its international legal obligations.
However, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the ICC decision "unfortunate", saying on X late on Thursday: "(The move) undermines its authority in other cases when it equates the elected representatives of a democratic state with the leaders of an Islamist terrorist organization."
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday (November 21) a decision by the International Criminal Court to issue a warrant to arrest him for alleged war crimes was an "antisemitic".
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, the court said on Thursday.
An Israeli airstrike in central Beirut killed five people and wounded 31 on Monday, marking the second consecutive day of strikes in the city. The attack comes as Lebanon and Hezbollah agree to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire with Israel. Tel Aviv is yet to respond.
Hezbollah’s media chief, Mohammad Afif, has been killed in an Israeli strike on Beirut. A second strike killed two others and injured 22 people.
Authorities say the death toll is likely to climb after Israeli strikes on Almat over the weekend.
Azerbaijan has created favorable conditions for lasting peace, stability and reliable security in the South Caucasus, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in an address to the participants of the 12th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (I
Romania and Bulgaria may become full members of Europe's borderless Schengen travel zone in January 2025, Hungary said on Friday, adding a final decision would be made at next month's meeting of EU interior ministers.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, saying he would guarantee that an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu would "not be observed".
"Come up with the video in its full form," demands the COP29 CEO, Elnur Soltanov, in an exclusive interview with AnewZ. The chief executive has broken his silence on the claims he was using his position to organise potential fossil fuel deals.
Negotiations at COP29 in Baku face a critical impasse as sharp divisions over climate finance and fossil fuel commitments threaten progress.
The United Nations COP29 climate change conference in Baku seeks $1 trillion annually to help vulnerable nations tackle climate change, as political tensions and Argentina’s withdrawal overshadow talks.
Azerbaijan has created favorable conditions for lasting peace, stability and reliable security in the South Caucasus, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in an address to the participants of the 12th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (I
The European Commission has announced plans to dispatch a technical mission to Georgia in the coming weeks to investigate alleged violations during the October 26 parliamentary elections.
A Lufthansa flight on the Mumbai–Munich route was diverted to Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku after a passenger experienced a sudden medical emergency.
Uzbekistan and Kuwait have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at facilitating trade between the two nations. The agreement was formalized during the Uzbek-Kuwaiti Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, and Scientific-Technical Cooperation meeting.
The U.N. atomic watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution on Thursday again ordering Iran to urgently improve cooperation with the agency and requesting a "comprehensive" report aimed at pressuring Iran into fresh nuclear talks.
Azerbaijan has created favorable conditions for lasting peace, stability and reliable security in the South Caucasus, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in an address to the participants of the 12th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (I
Romania and Bulgaria may become full members of Europe's borderless Schengen travel zone in January 2025, Hungary said on Friday, adding a final decision would be made at next month's meeting of EU interior ministers.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, saying he would guarantee that an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu would "not be observed".
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