Hungary withdraws from the International Criminal Court during Netanyahu’s visit

Its government announced that Hungary is withdrawn from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

A senior official in the government of Prime Minister Victor Urban confirmed these hours after the leader of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, who was looking for under the arrest warrant for the International Criminal Court, arrived at Hungary on a government visit.

Urban invited Netanyahu as soon as a judicial order was issued last November, saying that the ruling would not have “any influence” in his country.

In November, the International Criminal Court judges said that there are “reasonable reasons” that Netanyahu hold “criminal responsibility” for the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu condemned the International Criminal Court’s decision to “anti -Semitism.”

The International Criminal Court, a global court, has the authority to prosecute the accused of mail, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Hungary is a founding member of the International Criminal Court, which is of 125 member states, and will be the first country in the European Union to slip from it. The clouds have no effect on continuous procedures.

During a joint press conference, Urban confirmed that the International Criminal Court has become a “political court.” The court’s decision to issue a judicial order against the Israeli leader “showed this clearly” this.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu praised the “bold and initial” decision to withdraw from the court.

“It is important for all democracies. It is important to stand in front of this corrupt organization,” said Netanyahu.

A statement issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office said on Thursday that Netanyahu and Europe spoke with US President Donald Trump about the decision and “the next steps that can be taken in this case.”

Earlier, the Foreign Minister of Israel thanked Jadaoun, Saar Urban, for X for “his clear and strong moral position alongside Israel.”

SA’AR added: “The so -called international criminal court has lost its moral authority after the basic principles of international law trample in its enthusiasm to harm Israel’s right to self -defense.”

Hungary’s decision is in line with its broader position on foreign policy during the Urban era, which has planted close relations with Israel and adopted a decisive view of international institutions that are seen as violating national sovereignty.

While Hungary’s withdrawal may carry symbolic weight and political effects, it does not significantly change the operational capacity of the International Criminal Court or the legal framework.

The court has faced similar challenges in the past and continues to work with broad international support.

However, Hungary’s criticism of the International Criminal Court as a “political biased” and its decision to withdraw as visits in Netanyahu may put a precedent for other countries to question or abandon their obligations to international justice based on political alliances or differences with specific judgments.

The United States, Russia, China and North Korea are among the countries that are not part of the International Criminal Court, and therefore do not recognize its jurisdiction.

Israel is also not part of the treaty, but in 2021 the International Criminal Court ruled that it had a jurisdiction on the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, because the Secretary -General of the United Nations had before that. The Palestinians were a member.

Hungary now needs to send a written notice to the United Nations Secretary -General to leave the treaty, with a valid withdrawal after one year, according to Article 127 of the Rome Law, which established the International Criminal Court.

“On the visit of Mr. Netanyahu, the court followed its usual procedures, after issuing an arrest warrant. The court remembers that Hungary is still under the duty of cooperation with the International Criminal Court,” the international criminal court spokesman, Fadi Al -Abdullah, told the BBC.

Since the issuance of the arrest order, the Hungarian authorities must technically arrest Netanyahu and hand it over to the court in The Hague, although member states do not always choose to impose the orders of the International Criminal Court.

In Europe, some member states of the International Criminal Court said that it would arrest the Israeli leader if he had stepped down in their country, while others, including Germany, announced that Netanyahu would not be detained if he visited.

However, German Foreign Minister Analina Perbook on Thursday said that the Declaration of Hungary was “a bad day for international criminal law.”

She added: “Europe has clear rules that apply to all European Union member states, and this is the Rome Law. I have repeatedly made it clear that there is no one in Europe above the law and applies to all areas of the law.”

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, The United States has convicted the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest orders and has visited the country since its issuance in November. His visit to Hungary has the first trip to Netanyahu to Europe since then.

The Hungarian Defense Minister Christophe Zalay-Bubrovnisky received Netanyahu at the runway of Budapest airport on Wednesday evening, and welcomed it in the country.

Israel is emerging against Detanaho arrest orders and former defense minister Yuf GalentAnd he strongly rejects accusations. Both denies the authority of the International Criminal Court and the legitimacy of notes.

At that time, Netanyahu said that it is a “dark day in the history of humanity”, and that the International Criminal Court has become “the enemy of humanity.”

He said, “It is a hostile step that has one goal – to deter me, to deter us from our natural right to defend ourselves against the enemies who are trying to destroy us,” he said.

In the same ruling, the International Criminal Court judges also issued an order against Hamas military commander Muhammad Dave, who Israel says he is dead. Hamas also rejected allegations.

The visit comes at a time when Israel announced that it expanded its attack in Gaza and the establishment of a new military corridor to pressure Hamas, with the continued deadly Israeli strikes across the Palestinian territories.

The war arose in Gaza due to the Hamas -led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the death of about 1,200 people and led to the transfer of 251 hostages to Gaza. Since then, Israeli military attacks have been killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, says Gaza’s health authorities, run by Hamas.