BUDAPEST - Hungary's Prime Minister-elect, Peter Magyar, has announced that his government would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in the country, marking a dramatic reversal of his predecessor Viktor Orban's policies toward the International Criminal Court .
Speaking at a press conference in Budapest on April 20, Magyar made clear that Hungary would halt its planned withdrawal from the ICC, a process initiated by Orban last year that was due to take effect on June 2. Maintaining Hungary's membership means the country is legally bound to execute arrest warrants issued by the court .
"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. I must arrest Netanyahu if he enters our country," Magyar told reporters .
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity - including starvation as a method of warfare - in Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza . The warrant was strongly criticized at the time by former US President Joe Biden, while President Donald Trump has continued to back the Israeli leader .
The announcement came after Magyar had reportedly invited Netanyahu to Budapest again in October for events marking the 70th anniversary of Hungary's 1956 anti-Soviet uprising. The invitation created confusion regarding Hungary's legal stance, prompting Magyar to clarify that he has made the ICC obligations clear "even to the Israeli prime minister" .
"I don't need to spell everything out over the phone. I assume that every head of state and government is familiar with these laws," Magyar added .
The shift in policy follows Magyar's landslide election victory on April 12, which ended Viktor Orban's 16-year rule. Magyar's centre-right Tisza party won a constitutional majority of 141 out of 199 seats, giving it a broad mandate for reform . Under Orban, Hungary had become the first European country to defy the ICC's order, refusing to arrest Netanyahu when he visited Budapest in April 2025 . Legal experts at the time warned that Orban's stance could turn Hungary into a haven for international war criminals .
Magyar's decision to reverse Hungary's ICC withdrawal is seen as part of a broader plan to restore the country's relationship with the European Union, with hopes of securing billions of euros in frozen EU funding . By contrast, several European countries have taken differing positions on the Netanyahu warrant: France has suggested arresting Netanyahu could conflict with existing agreements, while Italy has indicated it would not enforce the warrant, citing immunity for foreign leaders under the Vienna Convention .
Magyar is set to be formally sworn in as Prime Minister on May 9 .
