Austrian Daily: Viktor Orban Is Right!

It appears that the ICC is turning into an anti-Israel institution—much like the UN Human Rights Council—writes the Kronen Zeitung in an opinion piece published Saturday. The article's author supports Hungary’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court and underscores that the Hungarian prime minister is right to claim that the ICC has become a political tribunal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Viktor Orban at the Carmelite Monastery, April 3, 2025 (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister’s Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)

The columnist also contrasts the differing reactions of the current German and Austrian governments, pointing out that 

“in the chancellery in Vienna, unlike the soon-to-be German chancellor Friedrich Merz—who has already made it clear that he intends to invite Netanyahu (and, of course, not arrest him)—the position is: ‘Everyone is equal before international law.'”

Austria’s new foreign minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, went so far as to state that Hungary’s move further distances it from European consensus: "Respect for international law and the fight against the most serious crimes are fundamental European values and are not up for negotiation”—with the word “not” essentially underlined.

By stating this, Austria’s foreign minister is indirectly accusing Netanyahu of committing “the most serious crimes,” according to Kronen Zeitung's columnist.

“The U.S., Russia, China, and others—including Israel—understand why they never recognized the International Criminal Court,”

– the article concludes..

Cover photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Viktor Orban at the Carmelite Monastery, April 3, 2025 (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister’s Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)