Netanyahu Visits Budapest, Defying ICC
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has commenced a four-day official visit to Hungary, ignoring an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Hungary is a signatory of the Rome Statute, which grants the ICC the...
TroibNews 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has commenced a four-day official visit to Hungary, ignoring an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Hungary is a signatory of the Rome Statute, which grants the ICC the authority to prosecute war crimes and obliges it to detain Netanyahu. Coinciding with the Israeli leader’s arrival, Budapest announced its decision to formally withdraw from the treaty, a step that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had alluded to earlier in February.
Upon Netanyahu's arrival at the airport on Thursday morning, Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky greeted him, sharing images of the moment on Facebook. Orban later posted a photo alongside Netanyahu, declaring Budapest “the safest place in Europe.”
Netanyahu faces serious accusations of war crimes from the ICC connected to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which were a reaction to a deadly Hamas raid into Israel in October 2023. He and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are believed to have used starvation as a method of warfare, among other severe violations. The Israeli government has denounced the arrest warrants, labeling them as stemming from anti-Semitic biases within the international body.
Protesters in Poland had previously urged their government to arrest Netanyahu during the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in January. While Warsaw publicly stated it would not enforce the ICC warrant, this assurance became irrelevant as Netanyahu ultimately chose not to attend the event.
Domestically, the prime minister is also wrestling with allegations of corruption. An emerging scandal known as ‘Qatargate’ involves accusations that his close aides accepted payments from Doha in exchange for promoting its interests in Israel.
As he left for Hungary, Netanyahu dismissed the allegations as “fake” inventions by Ronen Bar, the head of the Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet, whose dismissal over "loss of trust" last month was halted by the nation’s High Court.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
Hungary is a signatory of the Rome Statute, which grants the ICC the authority to prosecute war crimes and obliges it to detain Netanyahu. Coinciding with the Israeli leader’s arrival, Budapest announced its decision to formally withdraw from the treaty, a step that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had alluded to earlier in February.
Upon Netanyahu's arrival at the airport on Thursday morning, Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky greeted him, sharing images of the moment on Facebook. Orban later posted a photo alongside Netanyahu, declaring Budapest “the safest place in Europe.”
Netanyahu faces serious accusations of war crimes from the ICC connected to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which were a reaction to a deadly Hamas raid into Israel in October 2023. He and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are believed to have used starvation as a method of warfare, among other severe violations. The Israeli government has denounced the arrest warrants, labeling them as stemming from anti-Semitic biases within the international body.
Protesters in Poland had previously urged their government to arrest Netanyahu during the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in January. While Warsaw publicly stated it would not enforce the ICC warrant, this assurance became irrelevant as Netanyahu ultimately chose not to attend the event.
Domestically, the prime minister is also wrestling with allegations of corruption. An emerging scandal known as ‘Qatargate’ involves accusations that his close aides accepted payments from Doha in exchange for promoting its interests in Israel.
As he left for Hungary, Netanyahu dismissed the allegations as “fake” inventions by Ronen Bar, the head of the Israeli domestic security agency Shin Bet, whose dismissal over "loss of trust" last month was halted by the nation’s High Court.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
