Hungary’s incoming prime minister, Péter Magyar, said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would face arrest if he enters Hungarian territory. Magyar made the remarks at a news briefing in Budapest while announcing his government’s decision to halt Hungary’s planned withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Magyar stated, “If the country is a member of the International Criminal Court, and a person who is wanted by the court enters our territory, then that person must be taken into custody.” He added that he had made this position clear to Netanyahu directly.
The comments marked a sharp reversal from the policy of outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orbán. Orbán had hosted Netanyahu in Budapest in April 2025 and publicly guaranteed that the Israeli leader would not be arrested.
Magyar confirmed that his administration would stop the ICC withdrawal process. The move was previously initiated under Orbán and was scheduled to take effect on June 2, 2026. Magyar said his government reviewed the decision and “will stop it.”
He explained, “It is the Tisza government’s firm intention to stop this and ensure that Hungary remains a member of the ICC.” The withdrawal would have made Hungary the only European Union member state outside the court’s jurisdiction.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024. The warrant includes allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict. ICC member states are obliged under Article 89 of the Rome Statute to detain individuals subject to such warrants.
Magyar responded to a reporter’s question about Netanyahu’s planned visit later this year. He said, “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.”
Netanyahu has already accepted an invitation to attend a ceremony in October 2026 marking the 70th anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 uprising. Magyar said he invited all heads of state he spoke with after the election victory to attend the commemorations.
The Israeli ambassador to Hungary, Maya Kadosh, earlier described a phone call between Netanyahu and Magyar as a “warm conversation” and confirmed that Netanyahu accepted the invitation. However Magyar’s enforcement of the ICC warrant could now jeopardize that trip.
Orbán had previously dismissed the ICC decision as “brazen, cynical, and completely unacceptable.” In addition, Magyar has committed to upholding Hungary’s treaty obligations.
