Hungary Blocks Joint EU Statement Criticising Israeli Parliament Vote

HUNGARY on Friday blocked a joint statement by EU member states on the Israeli parliament’s rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state.

This is according to a senior EU official.

As a result, European Union foreign policy Chief Josep Borrell was only able to release a statement on his own behalf criticising the move by the Knesset.

Borrell said the EU “deplores the resolution passed by the Knesset” and reiterates the bloc’s commitment to a two-state solution as the only sustainable solution to the Middle-East conflict.

Hungary had blocked other joint EU statements before.

It was unclear why Hungary prevented a declaration on behalf of all EU countries on this occasion.

Diplomats noted that Budapest has very good relations with Israel as a possible reason.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has cultivated friendly relations with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for decades.

Orbán’s government already had also announced that any arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu would not be executed on its territory.

In May, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as well as three leaders of the Palestinian Islamic militant organisation Hamas for alleged crimes against humanity.

The court must now decide on these applications.