Despite the arrest warrant… Netanyahu heads to Hungary next Wednesday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will head to Hungary next Wednesday, marking his first visit to a member state of the International Criminal Court since it issued an international arrest warrant for him.

On November 21, 2024, the court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (2022–2024), on charges of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.

This warrant means that Netanyahu could be arrested if he travels to any of the 120 member states of the International Criminal Court, although several countries, including Hungary and France, have announced they will not arrest him.

On Sunday, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the prime minister will travel to Budapest next Wednesday, where he will meet with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, for a five-day visit, and will return to Tel Aviv next Sunday.

This will be Netanyahu’s first visit to a country that is a member of the International Criminal Court, meaning its theoretically obligated to implement the arrest warrant against him.

Hungary was among the first countries to announce that it would not comply with the arrest warrant, and other countries, such as France, later followed suit.

Last November, the Hungarian Prime Minister extended an official invitation to Netanyahu to visit Budapest, stating, “I was shocked to hear about the recent shameful decision of the International Criminal Court,” referring to the arrest warrant.

He added, “Hungary strongly condemns this shameful decision, which in no way affects the Hungarian-Israeli alliance and friendship”.

Orban continued in his invitation to Netanyahu at the time: “As a sign of our deep support, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to Hungary for an official visit, where we will guarantee your security and freedom”.