Hungary: Orban welcomes Netanyahu, withdraws from ICC

Written by David Fletcher 11 Apr 2025
Hungary: Orban welcomes Netanyahu, withdraws from ICC

Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Hungary for its decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) during a four-day visit to Budapest, marking a rare foreign trip for him since the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Prime minister Viktor Orban, a staunch ally of Netanyahu, condemned the ICC's warrant as politically motivated and announced Hungary's intention to leave the court. Israel has also rejected the ICC’s accusations, arguing that they were driven by antisemitism and undermined Israel's right to self-defence. Hungary, as a founding member of the ICC, is still technically bound by its commitments; the process of withdrawal will take about a year. Other European countries are split on the validity of the warrant: some have expressed legal doubts. Netanyahu left on 6 April for Washington: the USA is not a member of the ICC, and neither are China or Russia.

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