Netanyahu Receives Full Military Honors in Hungary, Defying ICC Pressure

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Hungary early Thursday to a ceremonial welcome with full military honors, signaling a bold defiance of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant and a strengthening of the Hungarian-Israeli alliance.

Hungarian Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky personally greeted Netanyahu at the airport, sharing the moment on social media: “Welcome to Budapest, #BenjaminNetanyahu!” The Israeli premier will remain in Hungary for a four-day visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Orban extended the invitation last November just one day after the ICC issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes committed in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

While Hungary is a signatory to the ICC and legally bound to enforce its rulings, Orban openly rejected the court’s legitimacy in this case. In a letter to Netanyahu, he called the ICC’s move “shameful” and promised it would not affect Hungary’s support. “We will ensure your safety and freedom,” he wrote.

Speaking to Hungarian public radio, Orban later described the ICC’s actions as “outrageously brazen” and a “fundamentally wrong” decision that undermines international law itself.

The ICC relies on member states to enforce its warrants, and Hungary’s warm reception of Netanyahu is a clear signal that it will not comply.

This is Netanyahu’s second trip abroad since the warrants were issued. In February, he met with U.S. President Donald Trump, who responded by issuing executive sanctions against the ICC for targeting Netanyahu and Gallant. The sanctions bar ICC officials and their families from entry to the U.S. and freeze any assets under U.S. jurisdiction.

Analysts see Netanyahu’s trip to Hungary as part of a broader strategy to challenge the ICC diplomatically and normalize future international travel. “His ultimate goal is to regain the ability to travel wherever he wants,” said Moshe Klughaft, a former advisor to Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, Hamas’s top military commander, who was later confirmed killed in an Israeli airstrike. The court’s controversial rulings have drawn sharp criticism from both Israel and the United States, which are not ICC members and reject its authority over sovereign democracies.

Netanyahu’s visit, which includes high-level meetings and ceremonial events, concludes Sunday. It reflects not only a strong alliance with Hungary, but also Israel’s refusal to let politicized legal attacks isolate its leadership on the world stage.

Support Israel’s right to self-defense and share this update. Subscribe to our newsletter for more on Israel’s diplomatic strategy and global partnerships.