BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Hungary in the coming weeks, a Hungarian minister said Thursday, despite an international arrest warrant for the Israeli leader over the war in the Gaza Strip.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n's chief of staff, Gergely Guly谩s, told a news conference in Budapest that Netanyahu would likely visit Hungary before Easter, which falls this year on April 20.
Orb谩n, a right-wing populist and close Netanyahu ally, had earlier vowed to disregard the International Criminal Court warrant against the Israeli leader, accusing the world鈥檚 top war crimes court based in The Hague of 鈥渋nterfering in an ongoing conflict for political purposes.鈥
Member countries of the ICC, such as Hungary, are required to detain suspects facing a warrant if they set foot on their soil, but the court has no way to enforce that. Several European countries that are members of the court have declared they would enforce the warrant if Netanyahu were to enter their territory.
The ICC issued the arrest warrant in November for Netanyahu as well as for his former defense minister and Hamas鈥 military chief, accusing them of in connection with the war in Gaza.
The warrants said there was reason to believe Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used 鈥渟tarvation as a method of warfare鈥 by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel鈥檚 campaign against Hamas in Gaza 鈥 charges Israeli officials deny.
On Thursday, Guly谩s said he would 鈥渧ery much support鈥 Hungary withdrawing from the ICC, claiming it had 鈥渓ost its meaning by conducting political instead of legal activities.鈥 Hungary鈥檚 government, however, has not made any decision on the matter, he added.
Neither Israel nor its close ally the United States is a a member of or recognizes the ICC, the world鈥檚 only permanent global tribunal for war crimes and genocide.
Last month signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the court over investigations of Israel. The order accused the ICC of engaging in 鈥渋llegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel鈥 and of abusing its power by issuing 鈥渂aseless arrest warrants鈥 against Netanyahu and Gallant.
