The Hungarian government announced that it will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), of which it is a founding member, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived for a four-day official visit. Netanyahu is wanted by the ICC.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had invited him, stating that he would “guarantee” the ICC’s decision “would have no impact on Hungary,” as Hungary, being one of the 125 member countries of the ICC, is usually obligated to arrest him.
This is the first time the Israeli Prime Minister has visited an EU country and an ICC member state since the arrest warrant was issued against him, as well as against the former Minister of Defense and senior Hamas officials. Since then, Netanyahu has only traveled to the United States, which is not a member of the ICC, to meet with Donald Trump, who has imposed sanctions on the ICC.
Since the beginning of 2025, Hungary has lost €1 billion in European funds due to rule of law violations.
All 27 EU member states are members of the ICC, with the European Commission calling for “full cooperation with the courts, including the immediate execution of pending arrest warrants.” Countries like Spain and the Netherlands have stated they would execute the arrest warrants, while countries such as Poland and Germany have left “loopholes.”
Hungary is a key ally of Israel within the EU, having blocked EU statements critical of Israel, while the country has lost €1 billion in European funds since the start of the year due to rule of law violations.
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