Netanyahu invited to visit Hungary as world leaders split over ICC warrants

Hungary's illiberal prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has said he will invite his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to visit in defiance of an international criminal court arrest warrant, as world leaders split over the ICC's momentous decision.

- Jon Henley

The world's highest criminal court issued warrants on Thursday for Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas commander Ibrahim al-Masri, commonly known as Mohammed Deif, who is believed to be dead, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Orbán, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, called the court's decision "outrageously brazen" and "cynical".

"There is no choice here. We have to defy this decision... I will guarantee Mr Netanyahu, if he comes, that the judgment will have no effect in Hungary and that we will not follow its terms," he said yesterday.

In principle, Netanyahu and Gallant risk arrest if they go to any of the 124 states that are members of the ICC, including the EU nations, the UK, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan and dozens of African, Latin American and Asia-Pacific countries.

The reality, however, is different and Netanyahu and Gallant also remain free to travel to any of the countries that, like Israel, are not signatories to the Rome statute that established the court in 1998, including the US, China, India and Russia.