Hungary must arrest Netanyahu if he visits, Magyar says

 

Hungary must arrest Netanyahu if he visits, Magyar says

 

Israeli PM Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court, is due to visit Hungary later this year.

 

April 20, 2026 8:08 pm CET

By Ferdinand Knapp

https://www.politico.eu/article/peter-magyar-hungary-would-arrest-benjamin-netanyahu-israel/

 

Hungary’s Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar said Monday that his country must take Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into custody if he enters Hungarian territory while wanted by the International Criminal Court.

 

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICC member countries are in principle obliged to detain individuals subject to such warrants.

 

Hungary had previously refused to arrest the Israeli leader when he visited Budapest in April 2025, with staunch Netanyahu ally Viktor Orbán serving as prime minister. Prior to the meeting Orbán announced Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC, a process that takes one year to take effect under the court’s statute, and guaranteed Netanyahu immunity.

 

Magyar, however, has announced he will halt the ICC withdrawal by June 2, which would be a year after Hungary filed a formal withdrawal notification to the U.N. secretary-general.

 

Asked by reporters what this would mean for Netanyahu’s planned visit this fall — he has already accepted Hungary’s invite — Magyar said: “I made this clear to the Israeli prime minister as well … it is the Tisza government’s firm intention to stop this and ensure that Hungary remains a member of the ICC.”

 

He added: “If a country is a member of the ICC and a person who is wanted by the ICC enters our territory, then that person must be taken into custody.”

 

Some countries, however, have argued they can remain ICC members without enforcing such warrants.

 

France argued that arresting Netanyahu would contravene other agreements it has with Israel. Article 98 of the ICC statute backs France’s reasoning, saying that a country cannot “act inconsistently with its obligations under international law with respect to the … diplomatic immunity of a person.”

 

Germany’s then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in April 2025 that he couldn’t imagine his country arresting Netanyahu. Italy also granted immunity to the Israeli leader.

 

Júlia Vadler contributed to this report.