Orbán invites Netanyahu to Hungary in defiance of International Criminal Court arrest warrant

The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, He assured this Friday that he would invite the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu to go to his country in defiance of the arrest warrant issued against him this Thursday by the International Criminal Court.

Orbán described this measure as “cynical” and “brazen” specifying that Budapest will not respect its obligation to detain him if he visits Hungarian territory in the coming weeks.

“The decision taken by the criminal court to intervene in an ongoing conflict for political purposes is in fact scandalously brazen, I would say cynical,” Orbán said in statements to public radio Kossuth.

“There is no alternative but to oppose this decision. Today I will invite the Israeli Prime Minister to visit Hungary,” he continued. Orbán, adding that he will ensure that the decision of the International Criminal Court “will have no effect in Hungary.”

From Italy, the vice-president of the Italian government and leader of the far-right League, Matteo Salvinihas already pointed out that Nentanyahu would be “welcome” if you have traveled to the country.

“I intend to meet representatives of the Israeli government soon and if Netanyahu comes to Italy, I would be welcome. “War criminals are different.”he said.

Binding for the Twenty-Seven

It should be remembered that the High Representative of the EU for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Joseph Borrell, warned this Thursday that the order of this court is “binding” for the Twenty-Seven, as they are all part of the Rome Statute.

After saying this, the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter Szijjartohe distanced himself
quickly from Borrell’s position and called his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, to make it clear that he considers “shameful and absurd” the decision of the Criminal Court among other things because “it equates the leaders of a country victim of an atrocious attack with those of the terrorist organization responsible”.

Arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court have been issued for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for allegations war crimes and against humanity perpetrated as part of the military offensive launched more than a year ago against the Gaza Strip in response to the attacks carried out on October 7, 2023 by Hamas.

He article 86 of the Rome Statute provides that all States parties shall cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court and support its mandate, which includes the obligation to detain and surrender persons subject to arrest warrants issued by the court in case they enter its territory.

The Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court has already accused Mongolia of “failing to cooperate” in the arrest and surrender of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the country in September due to the arrest warrant issued for an alleged forced expulsion of Ukrainian children. in the context of the invasion of Ukraine.