From the Liveblog of
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Sa’ar applauds Hungary’s withdrawal from ICC
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomes Hungary’s announcement this morning that the country is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court.
“I commend Hungary’s important decision to withdraw from the ICC,” writes Sa’ar on X, saying that he and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó “dealt with this matter extensively.”
In January, Sa’ar met with Szijjártó on a diplomatic visit to Budapest, during which he praised Hungary for its choice not to enforce the ICC arrest warrant issued last year against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The so-called ‘International Criminal Court’ lost its moral authority after trampling the fundamental principles of international law in its zest for harming Israel’s right to self-defense,” continues Sa’ar.
The foreign minister thanks Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the people of Hungary for taking a “clear and strong moral stance alongside Israel and the principles of justice and sovereignty!”
Orban announced the decision earlier this morning, minutes before receiving Netanyahu for a meeting during the Israeli premier’s visit in Budapest.
“The withdrawal process will begin on Thursday, in line with Hungary’s constitutional and international legal obligations,” said Orban’s spokesman Zoltan Kovacs.
I commend Hungary's important decision to withdraw from the ICC. FM Péter Szijjártó and I dealt with this matter extensively. The so-called "International Criminal Court" lost its moral authority after trampling the fundamental principles of international law in its zest for…
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) April 3, 2025
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