Orbán with Netanyahu: Hungary is an island of freedom

Hungary, a self-respecting democratic state governed by the rule of law, cannot participate in a politically tainted international court, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said in connection with the government’s decision to quit the International Criminal Court.

Netanyahu applauded Orbán

Speaking at a joint press conference on Thursday held with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Budapest, Orbán said the ICC had become “a political court” in recent years and the body was “no longer an impartial, rules-based court”. This, he added was clearly demonstrated by the ICC’s decisions concerning Israel.

At the press conference, Netanyahu applauded Orbán’s remarks. “It is my conviction that this otherwise crucial international judicial forum has been degraded into a political tool,” Orban said, adding that Hungary would not have “any community” with the ICC in the coming period. Orbán said the foreign minister will submit a bill to parliament on Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC later in the day.

ICC withdrawal

Orbán noted that he was the prime minister who signed the document cementing Hungary’s membership in the ICC in 2000, and he was now the one who signed the document on Hungary’s withdrawal from the court. Meanehile, the prime minister said Hungary enforces zero tolerance against anti-Semitism with every means possible and protects all of its citizens. He noted that he and Netanyahu last met in Budapest eight years ago and he last visited Israel in 2021. He said the world had gone through “huge changes” since then, with global security facing “serious threats”, as evidenced by the 2023 terrorist attack against Israel.

Orbán said the “cruel and serious attack” that had “aimed to crush Israel’s sovereignty” had had a high impact on the entire world, including Hungary. Hungary, Orbán said, had made it clear that it stands by Israel’s sovereignty, its right to self-defence and the security of the Israeli people, noting that it has represented this position on the world political stage ever since. He wished the Israeli government success in guaranteeing the security of its people and enforcing its right to defend itself.

Orbán: Hungary, an island of freedom

Orbán said Hungary had also undergone changes recently, “mainly when it comes to the European Union”. Hungary in recent years had been “an island of freedom, the resolute guardian and standard-bearer of Judeo-Christian civilisation in Europe”. Hungary, he noted, is home to Europe’s third largest Jewish community, adding he was certain that Hungary was the safest place in Europe for Jewish people today.

He said anti-Semitism had reached “unprecedented levels” in western Europe over the past decade, adding that “Hamas flags have never been waved in Hungary and never will be.”

“In this country … there is zero tolerance for anti-Semitism, and that is something we enforce with every means possible,” the prime minister said. “We protect all of our citizens and devote special attention to groups that are highly vulnerable, and the Jewish community is now highly vulnerable everywhere in the world.”

Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism is being imported into western Europe as illegal migration amplifies its spread, Orbán said. “The elite in Brussels cannot and does not want to curb illegal migration but wants to manage it instead,” he said. Hungary will not accept any kind of migration or the implementation in the country of any European migration agreement, as this would jeopardise the security of all citizens living here, Orbán said.

He said Hungary had an interest, coinciding with its national values, in Israel remaining a stable and safe country, adding that “a stable Israel is key to stability in the Middle East.”

Meanwhile, Orbán noted that Israel is a major investor in Hungary, adding that cooperation between Hungarian and Israeli businesses was strong. He voiced hope that that cooperation would continue, adding that Hungary would continue maintaining defence industry cooperation with Israel. He noted that Hungary has integrated a considerable amount of technology purchased from Israel into its defence systems.

Economy

Orbán said there are 150 Israeli companies present in Hungary, employing thousands of people, adding that these were valuable investments in Hungary’s pharmaceuticals and hi-tech sectors.