Shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu arrived in Hungary last week, officials from the International Criminal Court submitted a formal request to the Hungarian authorities, urging them to hand him over.
According to a report from Channel 12, the ICC’s appeal included a call for Netanyahu’s temporary detention in accordance with the Rome Statute, the treaty that governs the court. The request cited several controversial allegations, among them: “use of starvation as a weapon of war,” “crimes against humanity,” and “attacking civilian areas.”
The court insisted that the request remain strictly confidential in order to preserve the integrity of the judicial process leading up to a possible arrest.
But Hungary went further than simply declining to act on the ICC’s demand. In a bold move timed with Netanyahu’s visit, the government announced its decision to exit the treaty and renounce its participation in the Rome Statute altogether.
The ICC had previously issued arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Prior to Netanyahu’s arrival, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban provided assurances that Netanyahu would not face detention while visiting the country.
This marks the first time a nation belonging to the ICC has hosted Netanyahu since the court’s warrants were issued.
{Matzav.com}