JI lodges formal protest with Hungarian Ambassador to Pak, Béla Fazekas over Hungary’s decision to host Israeli PM Netanyahu

LAHORE, April 15 (SABAH): Jamaat-e-Islami has lodged a formal protest with the Hungarian Ambassador to Pakistan, Béla Fazekas over Hungary’s decision to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its recent withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a letter addressed to Ambassador Fazekas, JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rahman expressed profound disappointment and unequivocal protest over Hungary’s actions, calling them deeply troubling in light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the serious allegations leveled against Netanyahu at the ICC.

The letter highlighted facts against the Israeli premier, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare and other crimes against humanity.

Hafiz Naeemur Rahman said Hungary should not turn its back on international justice at a time when, he argued, global accountability mechanisms are needed more than ever.

“Hungary’s history is no stranger to the pain of injustice,” the letter reads, drawing parallels between the historical suffering of Hungarians and the present-day plight of Palestinians. Citing symbolic memorials in Budapest such as the bronze shoes along the Danube and the Museum of Terror, the JI leader called on Hungary to remember its own history of oppression when making foreign policy decisions.

Hafiz Naeemur Rahman said that honoring a leader causing widespread civilian deaths and displacement could damage Hungary’s moral standing and alienate it from the global movement for justice. He urged the Hungarian government to reconsider its position, rejoin the Rome Statute, and apologize to Palestinians and the global community protesting the violence in Gaza.

“Let Hungary be remembered not for complicity in injustice but for standing on the right side of history—shoulder to shoulder with those who seek peace, dignity, and a future for all,” Hafiz Naeemur Rahman concluded.

The letter reflects growing international outrage, particularly among Muslim nations and civil society groups, over Israel’s military actions in Gaza and increasing scrutiny of countries perceived to be enabling or legitimizing them.