Incoming Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has vowed to halt the country’s exit from the International Criminal Court, explicitly stating that Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he enters the country.
Hungary’s incoming Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, has announced he will block the country’s planned withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), a move that directly threatens Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu with arrest should he enter Hungarian territory. Magyar, whose Tisza party recently ended Viktor Orban’s 16-year tenure, stated that his administration has reviewed the withdrawal process and determined it will be halted. This decision ensures Hungary remains a signatory to the Rome Statute, reversing Orban’s attempt to make the nation the only EU member outside the court’s jurisdiction.
The policy shift is a significant blow to the long-standing alliance between Budapest and Jerusalem. Former Prime Minister Orban had initiated the withdrawal last year specifically to shield Netanyahu, who has been wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes in Gaza since 2024. During a press briefing in Budapest, Magyar was explicit in his stance, asserting that if any person wanted by the court enters Hungarian territory, they “must be taken into custody,” and confirmed he had made this position clear to the Israeli leader.
This pivot marks a sharp departure from the right-wing bloc previously formed by Orban, Netanyahu, and U.S. President Donald Trump. While the U.S. does not recognize the ICC and has continued to host Netanyahu during the ongoing conflict with Iran, Magyar’s commitment realigns Hungary with mainstream European Union legal obligations. The withdrawal was scheduled to take effect on June 2, but Magyar’s intervention effectively restores the court’s authority in Hungary just weeks before the deadline.