VIENNA: Hungary’s newly elected Prime Minister Péter Magyar has indicated that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to Budapest, he could be arrested, as there is an active arrest warrant against him from the International Criminal Court.
Speaking to reporters, Magyar said that if a country is a member of the International Criminal Court and a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued enters its territory, then he must be detained.
Magyar further said that he has informed Netanyahu of his desire to re-integrate Hungary into the ICC system, Hungary is a member of the International Criminal Court, and will abide by the laws.
Previously, current Prime Minister Viktor Orban had established close ties with Netanyahu’s right-wing government and had put Hungary on the path to withdrawing from the ICC before his visit to Budapest in 2025.
It should be noted that the ICC issued arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024 on charges of alleged war crimes during the war in Gaza, although both leaders have denied the charges.
