Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Hungary today despite an outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), having received reassurances from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that he will protect him. The European Green Party is calling for Prime Minister Netanyahu to be arrested and face trial at the Hague criminal court.
European Green Co-chair Ciarán Cuffe said:
"The European Union and national governments have a duty to uphold international law and ensure accountability for war crimes and human rights abuses. By ignoring the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu, Viktor Orbán is showing the same disregard for the rule of law on the international stage that he has consistently shown in Hungary. It is long overdue for member states to move forward with Article 7 to restore fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy in Hungary."
European Green Party Co-chair Vula Tsetsi added:
"Orbán is bulldozering over EU treaties and obligations. His ties to Russia; his recent ban on Budapest Pride; his continued blocking, vetoing and blackmailing of EU support to Ukraine, are yet more evidence that he has more loyalty to Trump and Putin than the EU. The European Commission and Council can no longer afford to let one leader hold the bloc hostage. That is why we, as European Greens, have been consistently calling for the abolishment of national vetoes on matters related to foreign policy. Ignoring the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu means ignoring the reasons for which it was issued, which is unacceptable. "
“It is incredibly concerning to see that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is also cozying up to Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem while the latter continues to wage death and destruction on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. European leaders should be holding Netanyahu to account, and trying to broker a just peace in Gaza, rather than flattering him and his extremist government."
On March 6, Orbán vetoed the conclusions of the European summit on Ukraine, forcing the remaining 26 leaders to adopt a separate statement. He can also block European support for Ukraine because EU economic sanctions against Russia must be renewed unanimously in July, and his approval would be needed for Europe to seize Russia's frozen assets.
