Camille Naredo

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference with Hungary's Prime Minister (unseen) after bilateral talks on April 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Attila Kisbenedek, AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference with Hungary's Prime Minister (unseen) after bilateral talks on April 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Hungary in defiance of the International Criminal Court (ICC)'s arrest warrant against him over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Hungary has long-standing ties with Israel, and they been further bolstered up since the start of the war in Gaza, sparked by the Palestinian militant group Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

Article (news)

ISRAEL

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1743956724969AFP__20250403__38YG8FN__v1__Preview__HungaryIsraelPoliticsDiplomacyConflict.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference with Hungary&#x27;s Prime Minister (unseen) after bilateral talks on April 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Attila Kisbenedek, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference with Hungary&#x27;s Prime Minister (unseen) after bilateral talks on April 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. <em>Attila Kisbenedek, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Budapest on Sunday to head to the US to talk tariffs and Iran with President Donald Trump after wrapping up a multi-day-visit to Hungary.</p><p>Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban hosted his long-standing Israeli ally in Hungary this week, despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.</p><p>Netanyahu&#x27;s visit came as Hungary announced its withdrawal from the tribunal.</p><p>&quot;I have just concluded a very important visit to Hungary,&quot; Netanyahu said in a statement adding that cooperation in the production of munitions among other issues was discussed.</p><p>Netanyahu is headed straight to the United States, where he is set to discuss tariffs, Iran and the ICC, among other thorny issues with US President Donald Trump on Monday.</p><p>The Israeli leader arrived in the Hungarian capital early on Thursday.</p><p>Both Orban and Netanyahu slammed the ICC at a joint press conference, with the Israeli premier expressing hope that Hungary &quot;would not be the last state&quot; to exit the &quot;corrupt organization&quot;.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/4/4/the-international-criminal-court-five-things-to-know-1003">The International Criminal Court: Five things to know</a></div><p>The ICC last year issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes -- including starvation as a method of warfare -- in Israel&#x27;s war against Hamas in Gaza.</p><p>The war was sparked by the militant Palestinian group&#x27;s attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.</p><p>Orban defended the government&#x27;s decision not to execute the ICC warrant against Netanyahu in his weekly radio interview, saying that it is &quot;not customary to arrest guests&quot; in Hungary and there was no will to do so since Israel is regarded as a &quot;friend&quot;.</p><p>German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the decision, calling it a &quot;bad day&quot; for international criminal law.</p><p>But Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said he didn&#x27;t think his country or any other European state would have arrested the Israeli leader. The visit to Hungary marked Netanyahu&#x27;s first trip to Europe since 2023.</p><p>During his four-day visit, Netanyahu met Jewish community leaders, visited a Holocaust memorial on the bank of the Danube river and was awarded an honorary degree from a university.</p><p>Hungarian police said Saturday it had detained two Frenchmen on suspicion of hooliganism and vandalism after they allegedly tore down and damaged Israeli flags at the Szechenyi chain bridge.</p><p>Netanyahu and Orban also had a call with Trump about Hungary&#x27;s decision to exit the ICC.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/3/18/families-accuse-netanyahu-of-sacrificing-hostages-as-army-resumes-gaza-strikes-0625">READ: Families accuse Netanyahu of sacrificing hostages as army resumes Gaza strikes</a></div><p>Israel had attempted to duck the US tariffs imposed on nearly every country by moving preemptively Tuesday -- a day before Trump&#x27;s big global tariff announcement -- to drop all remaining duties on the one percent of American goods still affected by them.</p><p>But Trump moved ahead with the tariffs, saying the United States had a significant trade deficit with its Middle East ally and top beneficiary of military aid.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0LZq94frpnI?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Budapest on Sunday to head to the US to talk tariffs and Iran with President Donald Trump after wrapping up a multi-day-visit to Hungary.</p>

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Budapest on Sunday to head to the US to talk tariffs and Iran with President Donald Trump after wrapping up a multi-day-visit to Hungary.

Israel's Netanyahu ends Hungary visit, heads to US

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Israel's Netanyahu ends Hungary visit, heads to US

Agence France-Presse

Published April 07, 2025 12:57 AM PHT

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