Netanyahu to go to Hungary as Orbán vows to defy ICC arrest warrant

Benjamin Netanyahu is predicted to start a four-day official go to to Hungary on Thursday, marking the primary time the Israeli prime minister has stepped foot on European soil for the reason that worldwide prison court docket issued an arrest warrant for him over allegations of struggle crimes in Gaza.

Hours after the ICC introduced the warrants in November, Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, made it clear he would defy the court docket to host Netanyahu, telling reporters that he would “assure” the ICC’s ruling would “don’t have any impact in Hungary”.

Hungary has been a signatory of the ICC for the reason that court docket was launched greater than twenty years in the past, signing on to the requirement to arrest and hand over anybody going through a court docket warrant in the event that they set foot within the nation. In current days, sources in Orbán’s authorities have reportedly floated the potential of withdrawing from the court docket.

The go to takes place as Netanyahu has mentioned Israel is “seizing territory” and intends to “divide up” the Gaza Strip two weeks after it ended a fragile ceasefire with renewed bombing and the deployment of floor troops throughout the besieged Palestinian territory.

It marks Netanyahu’s second journey overseas for the reason that warrants have been introduced for him and his former defence chief, in addition to for the Hamas chief Ibrahim Al-Masri. Israel has rejected the court docket’s accusations, describing them as politically motivated and fuelled by antisemitism.

In February, Netanyahu travelled to the US – which, like Israel, shouldn’t be a member of the ICC – to fulfill Donald Trump. The US president seized on the go to to signal an government order that sought to impose sanctions on the ICC over its investigations into Israel’s actions within the battle, which started when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 folks and taking 250 captive.

Since then, Israel’s retaliatory army marketing campaign in Gaza has killed greater than 50,000 folks, nearly all of them civilians, based on the territory’s well being ministry.

Throughout the EU and its 27 members – all of whom are signatories to the ICC – the query of whether or not the warrants could be enforced has lengthy been divisive. Whereas states corresponding to Spain, the Netherlands and Finland mentioned they might uphold the warrants, Poland earlier this yr mulled the potential of Netanyahu attending the eightieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, whereas Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, mentioned final month he had promised to discover a approach for Netanyahu to go to Germany with out being arrested.

When requested earlier this week about reviews of Netanyahu’s go to, a spokesperson for the European Fee mentioned all states ought to guarantee “full cooperation with the courts together with by the immediate execution of excellent arrest warrants”, based on Politico.

Hungary’s choice to flout the court docket’s ruling has been criticised by rights teams.

In a press release, Erika Guevara Rosas of Amnesty Worldwide mentioned: “Prime Minister Netanyahu is an alleged struggle prison, who’s accused of utilizing hunger as a technique of warfare, deliberately attacking civilians and the crimes towards humanity of homicide, persecution, and different inhumane acts. Hungary’s invitation reveals contempt for worldwide legislation and confirms that alleged struggle criminals needed by the ICC are welcome on the streets of a European Union member state.”

Human Rights Watch pointed to accusations Orbán has repeatedly confronted of weakening democratic establishments and progressively undermining the rule of legislation.

“Permitting Netanyahu’s go to in breach of Hungary’s ICC obligations could be Orbán’s newest assault on the rule of legislation, including to the nation’s dismal report on rights,” mentioned Liz Evenson of the organisation in a press release. “All ICC member international locations must clarify they anticipate Hungary to abide by its obligations to the court docket, and that they may do the identical.”

In a press release to the Guardian, the ICC mentioned member states had a authorized obligation to implement the court docket’s rulings and added that it was lower than events however to the ICC “to unilaterally decide the soundness of the court docket’s authorized choices.”