The Hungarian government decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, she announced on Thursday, shortly after Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, requested under an ICC arrest warrant, arrived at the country for a national visit.

The right -wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited his Israeli colleague in Budapest in November, the day after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for charges of war crimes in Gaza, where Israel launched its offensive after attacking South Israel. Hungary is the founder of the ICC.

Israel has rejected allegations, which he says are politically motivated and encouraged by anti -Semitism. He says ICC lost all legitimacy by issuing orders against the democratically chosen leader of the land who is entitled to self -defense.

As a member of the founder, Hungary is theoretically obliged to arrest and teach everyone provided that the order from the court, but Orban made it clear that Hungary would not respect the verdict, which he called “brave, cynical and completely unacceptable.”

Hungary signed the ICC founding document in 1999 and ratified it in 2001, but the law was not published.

Gergely Gulyas, Head of Orban, said in November that, although Hungary ratified Roman statute of ICC, he “was never part of the Hungarian law”, which means that no measure of the court can be carried out in Hungary.

On Thursday, Gulyas told the MTI to the State Gazette Agency that the Government would initiate withdrawal procedure later during the day.

Hungary caused an exit from the ICC after US sanctions

In February, Orban erected a way out of the ICC exit from the ICC after US President Donald Trump in February inserted sanctions on Court Karim Khan.

“It’s time for Hungary to review what we do in an international organization that is under US sanctions,” Orban said on X in February.

The proposal of the Law on the beginning of the year-round withdrawal procedure from the ICC is likely to be approved by the Hungarian Parliament, dominated by Orban’s Fidesz Party.

The Netherlands, who hosts the ICC, said that until the withdrawal is over, Hungary must continue to fulfill its duties.

“The complete withdrawal procedure from the ICC takes about a year; during this time, Hungary will have to fulfill all its obligations to court,” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told reporters on the side of NATO Brussels meeting.

Netanyahu has enjoyed strong support from the Hungarian Orban over the years, an important ally who was ready to block EU statements or actions critical of Israel in the past.

ICC judges said that when they issued a warrant that there were reasonable reasons that believe that Netanyahu and his former defense chief were responsible for criminal acts, including murder, persecution and starvation as a war weapon as part of a “wide and systematic attack on the civilian population.”

The Israeli campaign killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health authorities and devastated Gaza’s belt. The attack under the guidance of Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. He killed 1,200 people and saw more than 250 he took hostages, according to the Talties Israeli.

ICC also issued an arrest warrant against the Hamas leader in November. His death was confirmed after the order was issued.