Why Hungary’s alliance with Israel should worry you
When Orbán shields Netanyahu from prosecution, the silence from Europe is telling - and dangerous.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán just met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Budapest.
Now, remember: Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for committing crimes against humanity in Gaza.
So how did Orbán respond to this? Not by upholding international law. Not by holding Netanyahu accountable. Instead, Orbán refused to comply with the ICC’s arrest warrant and went one step further - he announced that Hungary is pulling out of the court entirely.
This is a textbook case of Authoritarian Alignment.
It’s what happens when leaders who actively undermine democracy, abuse human rights, and violate international law start teaming up to avoid accountability.
Orbán has already eroded Hungary’s democratic institutions to the point where even the EU doesn’t consider it a full democracy anymore. Netanyahu, meanwhile, presides over an apartheid state that continues to brutalise Palestinians - with the violence only escalating under his leadership.
And then there’s Russia. Hungary is the only EU country to maintain warm relations with Putin, another leader wanted by the ICC - this time for war crimes in Ukraine.
The common thread? They’re all banding together to undermine international law and shield each other from accountability.
It also explains why Donald Trump - another leader with clear authoritarian tendencies - is cosy with these three. They share the same goal: dismantling systems that could hold them accountable for their crimes.
But here’s where things get even worse: The West’s silence.
When Orbán met with Putin, European democracies like the UK, Germany, and France were quick to condemn it, calling for Putin’s arrest. But now, as Orbán openly welcomes Netanyahu - another man wanted by the ICC?
Nothing. Silence.
The difference? Israel is their ally. Russia is not.
It’s pure hypocrisy. These countries love preaching about international law and human rights, but only when it serves their interests. They’ll hold Russia to account, but shield Israel from any real consequences.
And that hypocrisy is already backfiring.
Many countries outside of Europe are taking neutral positions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They’re refusing to join the West’s efforts to isolate and sanction Russia.
Why? Because they see how Western democracies protect Israel no matter what it does - even if it’s violating the same international laws they’re using against Russia.
So while authoritarian governments openly oppose the ICC, Western democracies are quietly undermining it through their double standards.
The end result? If this continues, the entire system of international law and human rights collapses. And if that happens, no one - whether they’re in the West, the Middle East, or anywhere else - will ever be held accountable for their crimes.
And if Western democracies can’t even apply their own values equally and fairly, how can they expect anyone else to take them seriously?