The Hungarian government has decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking a significant shift in the country's international stance.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a key ally of Netanyahu, invited the Israeli leader to Budapest in November, just a day after the ICC issued the arrest warrant. The warrant was related to allegations of war crimes in Gaza following Israel's military actions against Hamas-led forces.
Israel has consistently rejected the accusations, describing the ICC's actions as politically motivated and antisemitic. The Israeli government argues that the ICC's legitimacy has been compromised by targeting a democratically elected leader engaged in self-defense.
Hungary, a founding member of the ICC, is theoretically obligated to enforce the court’s arrest warrants. However, Orban has made it clear that Hungary will not comply with the ICC's ruling, calling the warrant “brazen, cynical, and completely unacceptable.”
Though Hungary signed the Rome Statute, the founding document of the ICC, in 1999 and ratified it in 2001, the law was never enacted domestically. Gergely Gulyas, Orban's chief of staff, clarified in November that the ICC's provisions were never incorporated into Hungarian law, meaning the country has not enforced any ICC decisions.
On Thursday, Gulyas confirmed that Hungary would begin the process of withdrawing from the ICC. The decision follows comments by Orban earlier this year suggesting that Hungary reconsider its membership in the wake of U.S. sanctions imposed on the ICC’s prosecutor, Karim Khan.
The bill to start the year-long withdrawal process is expected to pass in Hungary’s parliament, which is controlled by Orban's Fidesz party.
Netanyahu has long enjoyed strong support from Orban, who has previously blocked EU actions critical of Israel. The relationship between the two leaders is underscored by shared political interests, especially in relation to the ICC and Israel’s ongoing security concerns.
The ICC’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu accuses him and former Israeli defense officials of committing war crimes in Gaza, including acts of murder, persecution, and starvation. The Israeli military's operations have resulted in significant loss of life, with over 50,000 Palestinians reported dead, according to Palestinian health authorities.
In addition, the ICC had issued a warrant against a Hamas leader in November, although the individual’s death was confirmed shortly after the warrant was made public.
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