Link to article: https://apnews.com/article/netanyahu-hungary-visit-international-arrest-warrant-99e8594999ba49bacf577ab33e2f4ebc
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to arrive in Hungary on April 2nd to meet with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban despite an international arrest warrant for the Israeli leader over the war in the Gaza Strip. Members of Orban’s government have suggested that Hungary, which became a signatory to the ICC in 2001, could withdraw. Currently, all countries in the 27-member European Union are signatories. The ICC issued the arrest warrant for Netanyahu as well as for his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief in light of accusations of them committing crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza after the Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
This is important because it shows how these two countries are seeking closer ties in spite of the ICC. Netanyahu and Orban both have shared ideals of conservative social and political values and Hungary is defying the ICC in order to show that they want to develop closer diplomatic ties with the state of Israel in the near future.
This relates to what we learned in class because it goes back to the core concept in international relations of constructivism. Both Israel and Hungary have shared political and social ideals and values and they are seeking closer ties due to these reasons. This shared identity is what is driving Hungary to defy the International Criminal Court and allow Netanyahu to safely visit his country. This also shows the extent to which the ICC is irrelevant in diplomatic proceedings and how easily the ICC’s rulings can be ignored. There is no such thing as a world government and this scenario of Hungary ignoring the ICC’s ruling shows how despite joining the ICC Hungary gave up absolutely no sovereignty in how it operates with foreign nations and rulers.