Netanyahu Visits Hungary in Display of Diplomatic Strength
In a bold affirmation of Israel’s sovereignty and its right to self-defense, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu arrived in Hungary this week for a four-day state visit, undeterred by the highly politicized arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The visit, hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, stands as a clear rejection of what many view as an unprecedented assault on the dignity and legitimacy of the Jewish state.
The ICC’s warrant, issued under the pretense of investigating so-called “war crimes” in Gaza, is seen by much of the Israeli public—and by many honest observers of world affairs—as a brazen overreach, bordering on the absurd. To equate a democratically elected leader, defending his country from a barbaric terrorist onslaught, with war criminals, reflects a dangerous moral inversion that has sadly become all too common in certain international institutions.
Hungary, a member of the ICC, made its position clear: it will not participate in the farce. Prime Minister Orbán’s government announced that it has no intention of enforcing the warrant, making Hungary the first European country to explicitly defy the ICC on this matter. In doing so, Orbán is not merely defending an ally—he is standing up for justice, truth, and the right of a nation to protect its citizens without fear of political persecution dressed up as legal process.
The timing of the ICC’s warrant is telling. It follows months of conflict ignited by the horrific attack by Hamas terrorists on October 7th, 2023—a day that brought the Jewish people face to face once again with unprovoked brutality. Over 1,200 innocent civilians were murdered, and hundreds were taken hostage, including women and children. And yet, in the weeks and months that followed, it was not the perpetrators of those atrocities who found themselves the subject of legal scrutiny, but the Jewish state that dared to defend itself.
This is the context in which Prime Minister Netanyahu travels to Hungary—not as a fugitive, but as a head of state engaged in the vital work of diplomacy and defense. The ICC’s warrant, rather than isolating him, has drawn sharp attention to the growing politicization of international legal bodies. The very notion that such a tribunal could consider the Prime Minister of Israel—a nation fighting for its survival against a genocidal enemy—as a criminal, is nothing short of scandalous.
The visit to Hungary has broader significance beyond the obvious rebuke to The Hague. It reflects a deepening alliance between Israel and Hungary. Prime Minister Orbán has long stood apart from his European counterparts in offering unambiguous support for Israel. While other nations hem and haw, mumbling about “proportionality” and “international norms,” Hungary speaks clearly: Israel has a right to defend itself.
Over the course of the visit, Mr. Netanyahu is meeting with top Hungarian officials to advance economic, security, and technological cooperation. But the symbolic message is no less important: Israel does not stand alone. Even in Europe, where anti-Israel bias too often goes unchecked, there are still nations—and leaders—with the courage to stand against the current.
Meanwhile, the ICC continues its descent into irrelevance. By targeting Israel while ignoring true atrocities across the globe—from Syria to Iran to the very terrorists who initiated this war—the court exposes itself as not merely flawed, but fundamentally compromised. Its actions have only served to reinforce what many have known for years: that some international bodies, rather than upholding justice, have become tools of political agendas that bear little resemblance to truth.