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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday to engage in discussions with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, despite facing an international arrest warrant related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
This four-day engagement underscores Netanyahu’s strong ties with Orbán, who has been increasingly critical of international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), a member of which Hungary is.
Orbán, a conservative populist and a supporter of Netanyahu, has openly dismissed the ICC’s warrant against the Israeli Prime Minister, accusing the court, based in The Hague, of manipulating ongoing conflicts for political gain.
Officials in Orbán’s administration have hinted at a potential withdrawal from the ICC, a treaty Hungary signed in 2001. Currently, Hungary is one of the EU’s 27 member states required to detain ICC warrant subjects if they enter the nation.
The ICC’s Reliance on Member Cooperation
Notably, the ICC lacks its own enforcement mechanism and depends entirely on cooperation from its 124 member nations.
On Tuesday, the organization Human Rights Watch urged Hungary to either bar Netanyahu’s entry or arrest him upon arrival.
Liz Evenson, the international justice director at Human Rights Watch, stated, “Orbán’s invitation to Netanyahu is an affront to victims of serious crimes. Hungary has legal obligations as an ICC member to arrest Netanyahu if he enters the country.”
The ICC, recognized globally as the only permanent tribunal for war crimes and genocide, issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November, along with a former defense minister and Hamas’s military leader, citing allegations of crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza conflict.
The Israeli military action commenced after a severe assault by Hamas gunmen on October 7, 2023, which reportedly resulted in 1,200 fatalities in Israel and the abduction of 251 individuals.
In contrast, Palestinian health officials claim that Israeli strikes have resulted in more than 50,000 deaths in Gaza, where virtually the entire population of 2.3 million has been displaced due to the conflict.
Accusations of Warfare Methodology
The issued warrants assert that there is credible evidence to suggest Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant employed “starvation as a method of warfare” by hampering humanitarian aid and purposefully targeting civilians during Israel’s campaign against Hamas—claims that officials in Israel refute.
The ICC has condemned Hungary for its apparent disregard for the warrants. Fadi El Abdallah, a spokesperson for the court, affirmed that it is not the prerogative of any ICC member state to make unilateral judgments regarding the court’s legal decisions.
El Abdallah emphasized that nations participating in the court have a duty to uphold its rulings and may seek consultation if they disagree with any determinations made by the court.
“Any disputes concerning the judicial functions of the Court will be resolved by the Court’s decisions,” he added.
Reactions and Further Concerns
Both Orbán and Netanyahu maintain relations with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously enforced sanctions against the ICC due to its inquiries related to Israel.
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Erika Guevara-Rosas from Amnesty International urged Hungarian authorities to arrest Netanyahu if he visits and to ensure he is presented to the ICC.
“Hungary’s invitation reflects a disregard for international law and underscores that individuals accused of war crimes are welcomed within an EU member state,” Guevara-Rosas remarked.
Evenson from Human Rights Watch reiterated that allowing Netanyahu’s visit would contravene Hungary’s responsibilities under the ICC and would represent another attack on the rule of law in a nation with a troubling human rights record.
Furthermore, in March 2023, the ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin related to allegations of war crimes, specifically concerning the abduction of children from Ukraine. Putin had visited Mongolia, also an ICC signatory, but was not detained, prompting an ICC oversight body to address Mongolia’s failure to fulfill its obligations.
Source
www.cbc.ca