Netanyahu will travel to Hungary, meet Orban despite ICC warrant

Alisa Odenheimer, Bloomberg News on Mar 30, 2025

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will fly to Budapest on April 2, his office said, despite an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court.

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during the visit. Orban has called the warrant “shameful” and said in November that he planned to invite the Israeli leader for a visit. Hungary, a signatory to the ICC statute, will guarantee that Netanyahu won’t be arrested during his visit, he said.

The ICC warrant, issued in November, relates to alleged war crimes committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip during the country’s war against Hamas. The Israeli government has repeatedly denied the allegations and said its operations against Hamas — which is designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. — comply with international laws.

Many of Israel’s Western allies, including the UK, France, Germany and Canada, are ICC signatories. That means they’re obligated to arrest Netanyahu if he visits, but there’s nothing that can force such a move. The U.S., Israel’s main backer, isn’t a signatory and has rejected the court’s authority. The Israeli leader last visited the U.S. in February.

Netanyahu is scheduled to return to Israel on April 6.