France bans Ben-Gvir, Hungary stays in ICC

France moved on May 23 to bar Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from entering the country, while Hungary said the same day it would remain in the International Criminal Court rather than complete a withdrawal begun under Viktor Orbán. The two decisions came from different capitals and through different legal channels, but both bear on how European states are handling Gaza-related disputes involving Israeli officials. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot tied Paris’s move to Ben-Gvir’s conduct toward activists detained from the Global Sumud flotilla. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said Budapest was withdrawing its intention to leave the ICC, preserving the court’s jurisdictional reach on Hungarian territory. ### What exactly did France do to Ben-Gvir? Jean-Noël Barrot said on May 23 that Ben-Gvir was banned from French territory with immediate effect. Barrot wrote that the decision followed what he called the minister’s “unacceptable actions” toward French and other European citizens aboard the Global Sumud flotilla, according to Politico and Associated Press reporting surfaced in search results. (politico.eu) Videos posted this week showed Ben-Gvir appearing to taunt detained activists after Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound flotilla. Politico reported that activists later alleged beatings, tasers and attack dogs during detention, while Israel denied mistreatment and called the allegations false. ### What incident triggered the French response? The Global Sumud flotilla was attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza when activists were detained. (politico.eu) Barrot’s statement specifically referred to French and European citizens among those aboard, making the episode a consular as well as political issue for Paris. Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Israel’s cabinet, has already faced sanctions from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand over what those governments described as repeated incitement of violence against Palestinians, Politico reported. (politico.eu) Barrot also called on the European Union to impose sanctions on Ben-Gvir, though such a step would require unanimity among the bloc’s 27 member states. ### Why does Hungary’s ICC decision matter? Péter Magyar said on May 23 that Hungary was withdrawing its intention to leave the ICC. In a post cited by The Jerusalem Post, Magyar said the government was reversing the earlier plan, which had been announced under Orbán after the court issued warrants for Israeli officials. The practical effect is that ICC warrants remain in force in Hungary. The Jerusalem Post said the court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. (politico.eu) Politico reported in April that Magyar had said any person wanted by the ICC who entered Hungarian territory “must be taken into custody.” (jpost.com) ### Didn’t Hungary already try to leave the court? Viktor Orbán’s government had announced Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC after Netanyahu visited Budapest in April 2025. Politico reported that withdrawal from the court takes one year to take effect after notification to the U.N. secretary-general, and Magyar had said he would halt that process before the June 2 deadline. (jpost.com) Hungary had previously become the first ICC member state to say Netanyahu could visit without arrest, according to The Jerusalem Post. Magyar’s position marked a break with that approach, at least as stated publicly since he took office. ### Does this mean Netanyahu or other Israeli officials would be arrested in Europe? The ICC question remains uneven across Europe. Politico reported that France has argued arresting Netanyahu could conflict with other international obligations, citing Article 98 of the Rome Statute, while Germany and Italy have also signaled reluctance to enforce the warrant. (politico.eu) Hungary, by contrast, would remain formally bound by ICC obligations if it stays in the court. (jpost.com) France’s action against Ben-Gvir is separate from the ICC process. Paris imposed an entry ban through its own national authority, while Budapest’s announcement concerns whether ICC warrants continue to apply in Hungary as a member state. ### What comes next? June 2 is the key date for Hungary because Politico reported that was the point by which Magyar said he would stop the withdrawal process from taking effect. (politico.eu) In Brussels, any EU sanctions proposal against Ben-Gvir would need unanimous backing from all 27 member states, and Politico reported Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka has already said he would block such a move. (politico.eu)