Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Hungary in the coming weeks, despite facing an international arrest warrant linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Hungarian officials confirmed on Thursday, as reported by The Associated Press.
Gergely Gulyás, the chief of staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, revealed during a press briefing in Budapest that Netanyahu is expected to make the visit before Easter, which falls on April 20 this year.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and several Hamas leaders over accusations of war crimes committed in Gaza.
Orban, a strong supporter of Netanyahu, has clearly stated that Hungary will not abide by the ICC’s arrest order for Netanyahu. He has criticized the ICC for what he believes to be politically driven interference in the Israel-Gaza conflict.
In November, Orban sent a letter to Netanyahu expressing his disapproval of the ICC warrants and inviting him for an official visit to Hungary.
Although countries that are part of the ICC, including Hungary, are obligated to arrest individuals with active warrants if they enter their territory, the ICC does not have the authority to enforce such actions. There have been varying interpretations among European nations that are signatories to the ICC’s founding treaty regarding how to handle these warrants.
France has declared that Netanyahu is immune from ICC actions because Israel has not ratified the court’s statutes. Similarly, Italy has stated that arresting Netanyahu while he is in office as Israel’s Prime Minister would not be possible.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof recently suggested that there may be ways for Netanyahu to visit the Netherlands without facing arrest, despite the ICC warrant.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk remarked in January that Netanyahu would have safe passage and would not face arrest had he attended the 80th-anniversary commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Friedrich Merz, who is expected to become Germany’s next chancellor, recently announced that he had extended an invitation to Netanyahu, noting that arrangements would be made to ensure Netanyahu’s safety and prevent any arrest.
“I think it is a completely absurd idea that an Israeli prime minister cannot visit the Federal Republic of Germany,” Merz said.
On Thursday, Gulyás voiced his support for Hungary’s potential withdrawal from the ICC, asserting that the court has “lost its meaning by conducting political instead of legal activities.” However, he also stated that Hungary’s government has not yet made a final decision on the matter.
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