Peter Magyar wants to stop Orban’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. Image: keystone
Hungarian Prime Minister-designate Peter Magyar announced at a press conference that he would arrest the Israeli Prime Minister during a possible state visit. Shortly before, he invited him to a memorial event in Budapest in October.
April 21, 2026, 4:54 p.mApril 21, 2026, 4:54 p.m
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. was advertised for arrest. Such an arrest warrant would oblige states that recognize the International Court of Justice to arrest the Israeli prime minister if he enters the country.
Five months after the ICC arrest warrant was issued, Netanyahu visited Hungary at the invitation of his close ally Viktor Orban. Shortly before Netanyahu’s visit, former Prime Minister Orban announced Hungary’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. This initiated a year-long process that granted the Israeli prime minister immunity during his visit. as the political magazine “Politico” reports.
Hungarian Prime Minister-designate Peter Magyar is now initiating the cancellation of the withdrawal initiated by his predecessor. At a press conference, Magyar made it clear that Benjamin Netanyahu would face arrest by the Hungarian authorities if he re-entered the country.
“If a country is a member of the ICC and a person wanted by the ICC enters the country, then that person must be taken into custody,” he also told Netanyahu this in a personal phone call, said the chairman of the ruling party Tisza. Magyar’s announcement comes shortly after his invitation to the Israeli prime minister to travel to Hungary. He is scheduled to take part in the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Uprising in October. (July)