Protesting the ICC arrest warrant, Hungary invites the Israeli Prime Minister to an official visit.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on November 21 issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and the former Israeli defense minister, as well as a Hamas leader, Mohammed Deif, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio that the ICC's arrest warrant was wrong and said the Israeli leader would be able to hold talks in Hungary "in full safety."

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hungarian Prime Minister Orban. (Photo: About Hungary)

"Today, I will invite the Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu, to visit Hungary, and in that invitation, I will assure him that if he comes, the ICC ruling will not be effective in Hungary and we will not comply with it," Orban said.

Since Orban and the Fidesz party came to power in 2010, the Hungarian leader and Netanyahu have built a close political relationship. Netanyahu visited Budapest in 2017.

Israeli leaders and the White House strongly condemned the ICC's decision, while EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the arrest warrants were non-political and all EU member states should respect and implement the court's decision.

Within the EU, Hungary and the Czech Republic are strong supporters of Israel, while countries like Spain and Ireland emphasize their support for the Palestinians.

The Czech Foreign Ministry, responding to the ICC's decision, said Prague would respect its international legal obligations. However, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the ICC's decision "regrettable".

124 countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, and Hungary, are signatories to the Rome Statute – the United Nations treaty establishing the International Criminal Court. If an ICC issues an arrest warrant against a person, entry into any Rome Statute signatory country puts them at risk of arrest.

The ICC arrest warrant is a significant move by the international court in its attempt to apprehend a world leader.

"This sends a very strong signal against exceptions, a very strong signal to all parties about upholding international humanitarian law, international criminal law, and above all, protecting the rights and safety of civilians," David Scheffer, former ambassador-at-home officer for war crimes issues in the Clinton administration and a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, told NPR.

Phuong Anh (Source: Reuters)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/phan-doi-lenh-bat-cua-icc-hungary-moi-thu-tuong-israel-tham-chinh-thuc-ar909059.html