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Israeli PM Netanyahu’s four-day visit to Budapest: major traffic restrictions, ICC arrest warrant
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will arrive in Budapest on 2 April for an official visit to Hungary. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán invited him despite the fact that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him in November, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza Strip.
Purpose and background of the visit
During Netanyahu’s visit, the main topics of discussion with Orbán will include deepening cooperation between the two countries in defence, innovation, energy, and trade. Regional security and developments in the Middle East will also be on the agenda.
Another key aspect of the visit is Netanyahu’s intention to secure Hungary’s support for Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza. In February, Trump presented a vision to transform Gaza into a Mediterranean resort area, a proposal that has been widely disputed and deemed controversial.
The ICC Arrest Warrant and Hungary’s Position
According to Bloomberg, despite the ICC’s arrest warrant, Orbán previously stated that Hungary would not execute it and would not impede Netanyahu’s visit. This decision is controversial, given that Hungary is a signatory to and has ratified the ICC Statute, which in principle obliges it to enforce the court’s decisions.
Reactions of Human Rights Organisations
Amnesty International has called on Hungary to arrest Netanyahu and hand him over to the ICC. The human rights organisation emphasises that Netanyahu’s visit disregards the suffering of Palestinian victims and that the silence and inaction of the international community are unacceptable.
Palestinian Ambassador in Budapest Seeks Official Clarification on Netanyahu’s Potential Visit
Amid reports of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s possible visit to Hungary, the Ambassador of the State of Palestine, Dr Fadi Elhusseini, met with Mr Lastofka János, Director General for the Middle East and North Africa, at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting, which was held at the Palestinian Ambassador’s request in accordance with instructions from the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, aimed to clarify Hungary’s position on the visit. It is expected to take place despite widespread international opposition, especially following the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
During the meeting, Ambassador Elhusseini presented the official Palestinian stance, emphasising that discussions of Netanyahu’s visit—given his direct responsibility for the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians and the injury of more than 120,000 others, most of them children, women, and the elderly, along with the deliberate destruction of infrastructure and civilian facilities—require an official clarification from the Hungarian side and the presentation of Palestine’s position on these developments.
Additionally, Ambassador Elhusseini has engaged in a series of meetings and communications with ambassadors of various countries and civil society representatives to present the official Palestinian position and gather perspectives on the visit. Meanwhile, the Palestinian community in Hungary has issued a statement expressing strong rejection of Netanyahu’s visit.
Stage-by-stage and temporary closures
- Between 19:00 on 2 April and 01:00 on 3 April, the route Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport 2 – M4 – M0 – M3 motorway entrance – Kacsóh Pongrác útti flyover – Kós Károly sétány – Hősök tere – Andrássy út – József Attila utca – Széchenyi István tér.
- On 3 April between 07:00 and 10:00, the route Széchenyi István tér – Lánchíd – Clark Ádám tér – Lánchíd utca – Ybl Miklós tér – Apród utca – Szarvas tér – Attila út – Dózsa György tér – Palota út – Dísz tér – Szent György utca.
- Between 11:30 and 14:30, the route Theatre Street – Dísz Square – Palace Road – Dózsa György Square – Attila Road – Szarvas Square – Apród Street – Ybl Miklós Square – Chain Bridge Street – Chain Bridge – Széchenyi István Square.
- Between 12:30 and 16:30, the route Széchenyi István tér – Eötvös tér – Id. Antall József quay – Markó utca driveway – Markó utca – Balassi Bálint utca – Kossuth tér – Garibaldi utca driveway – Id. Antall József quay – Eötvös tér – Széchenyi István tér.
- On 6 April between 07:00 and 10:00, the route Széchenyi István tér – József Attila utca – Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út – Andrássy út – Hősök tere – Kós Károly sétány – Kacsóh Pongrác útti overpass – M3 exit – M3 – M0 – M4 – Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport 2.
Summary
Netanyahu’s visit to Budapest is a significant diplomatic event that has sparked both support and opposition. While Hungary continues to maintain its position of non-compliance with the ICC arrest warrant, international human rights organisations and Palestinian representatives strongly oppose the visit. Meanwhile, the planned visit will lead to extensive traffic restrictions across the city, impacting residents and commuters alike.
This hero, the Prime Minister of Israel should be welcomed with open arms. Hungary has enacted proper laws protecting the Hungarian Jewish population and outlawing support for terrorists’ supporting hamas population of Gaza. Jewish people should always be able to feel safe to go to sleep in Hungary.
Well done Fidesz and Prime Minister Orban.
What’s protecting Hungary’s Jewish citizens got to do with welcoming ear criminal Netanyahou ?
The Israeli Prime Minster has become the Nazi oppressor of the ordinary men, women and children of Gaza. He bombs and starves without compassion for humanity. Israel imprisons thousands of Palestinians without a trial, he is a monster.
The Viktator love’s war criminals like this POS….what an honor to close the city for a war criminal from Israhell.
Spoken like a true hate-filled anti-Semite.
This individual – should be charged for “Crimes Against Humanity”.
It is with a disgusting hypocrisy that Orban endlessly talks about how “Brussels” is “pro-war” by providing material assistance to Ukraine to defend itself from Russian invasion while here he invites the war criminal mass murderer to Hungary. Israel has killed more than 2% of the entire population of Gaza. More than 50,000 were killed and over 100,000 injured with 300 children killed since the start of Israel’s resumption of attacks. Netanyahu broke the ceasefire and refuses to stop his war because he thrives on it.
Some of the bodies of 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, killed by Israeli forces and buried in a mass grave nine days ago in Gaza, were found with their hands or legs tied and had gunshot wounds to the head and chest, according to two eyewitnesses.
The witness accounts add to an accumulating body of evidence pointing to a potentially serious war crime on 23 March, when Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance crews and civil defence rescue workers were sent to the scene of an airstrike in the early hours of the morning in the al-Hashashin district of Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.
International humanitarian teams were only allowed access to the site this weekend. One body was recovered on Saturday. Fourteen more were found in a sandy grave at the site on Sunday and were brought back for autopsies in the nearby city of Khan Younis.
The predictable nonentities froth at the mouth, while the Eternal People lives.
For 6,000 years every two-bit loser who got up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning tried to exterminate us; yet, we are still here, bigger and stronger than ever before in our entire history.
On 10/7/2023 they perpetrated the worst atrocity against our nation since the Holocaust. A year later, they are all on their knees fighting for survival or dead, while we prosper.
As for the I.C.C., it is beyond parody. It is heavily politicized (as anyone could have easily predicted) and no court is better than a politicized (and hugely expensive) court. Dismantle the whole thing.
Adoni rosh hamemshala, baru5 haba b’Hungariya!
Netanyahu is the modern day Nazi, treating the people of Gaza in the same way as the Jews were treated in the holocaust, Isreal built a wall, created a ghetto, controlled who and what went in and out with armed guards. This ringing any bells yet?
Then uses any excuse to bomb innocent men women and children, probably killing many hostages as well. Jewish people don’t have exclusive rights to being victims, but boy do they like to cling onto the notion everyone hates them. What Netanyahu does in your name is as bad as the Nazi regime.
They did shoot three of their own hostages hunting them down when the IDF were just killing anyone they would see. It was proof of indiscriminate killing.
This is a brave and proper decision by Orban. Regardless of your opinion of his politics, being part of the political warfare waged against Israel at the ICC and other international orgs would be a grave injustice. Hamas started the war on October 7 and can end it at any time by returning the injured, ill, and elderly hostages they still hold 1.5 years later.
Until then, Israel has no choice but to continue the very unfortunate war. All world pressure should be focused solely on Hamas.
Bravo to PM Orban
Hungary, under the Orban led Fidesz Government there “Non Compliance” – to the Law’s of European Union Membership, having been “Judged” of Guilt – the growing gargantuan MILLIONS of Fines outstanding, of compounding interest to the European Union – this decision allowing entry of this individual Netanyhu’s – a BLATANT act of refusal to participate in, taking into account that Hungary – is a signatory to – and has ratified the ICC statute, which in principle obliges Hungary, to enforce the courts decision.
Orban – his Fidesz Government AGAIN – not COMPLYING to legal and contractable AGREEMENTS.
Orban – his Government, the REPUTATION of our Country that already has been SMASHED by Orban and his Fidesz Government, our Respect – Trust in us as a country just grows into being OBLIVIATED by this individual – Victor Mihaly. Orban.
Orban / Hungary – will pay another HEFTY price for this act of Treason this “judas” act – exhibiting its position of being a Government in Free Fall – that will be end in it’s DOWNFALL.
His arrival has damaged the peaceful atmosphere in Hungary and the security rights of every Hungarian.
Did most commentators actually realize what they are saying (most people should look up the meaning of the word).
Israel is a democracy, that makes it impossible for Prime Minister Netanyahu to be a fascist.
Most of all you people ignore hamas’ atrocities, beheading babies, burning babies in hot ovens in front of parents, raping women and then shooting them. How about hamas murdering two young children that and their mothers while in captivitive; hamas freed the father and said to him, well you can have another wife and more children.
Commentators also ignore the fact that 80+% of Gazans supported and still support hamas; these same people that you support celebrated all the atrocities.
Israel gave hamas an alternative, return hostages and you will be safe. Guess what, the hostages are not returned. The Israeli initiative is supported by President Trump because the utterly stupid hamas is still holding and American hostage.
Now, I cannot believe that the commentators would agree to a terrorist group killing their loved ones because human life so easily and pleasurably replaced. Yet by the comments they certainly show that their family member, mothers, fathers, children really do not have much value.
Can you explain then why Israel kills Palestinians in the west bank from 1.1.2023 till 6.11.2023? more than 200 including 40 children. My question: how should the Palestinians resist the occupation since it is guaranteed by the international law?
I believe that how the USA and ISR are behaving currently, is it the very end of their imperial powers.
It is enough for middle eastern believing that law will take its place. Only power matters sadly.
Well said MVT! Good for Orban sticking up for the only democracy in the Middle East and sticking it to the terrorists. Someone’s gotta have the guts to do it.
Criminal monster Nazinyahu and Hominicu Orbánicu: perfect match.