European Parliament Investigates French MEP Rima Hassan Over Alleged Israeli Flag Incident

A French member of the European Parliament, Rima Hassan, faces an investigation after the Israeli and European Union flags were allegedly thrown to the floor at an exhibition commemorating the October 7, 2023 attack, European Parliament president Roberta Metsola said on Tuesday. Hassan is a Palestinian-origin lawmaker with the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party. The event on Monday marked three years since the attack.

What the Parliament Says

Metsola said she takes the allegations extremely seriously and that all appropriate steps are being taken under the Parliament's procedures, including the right of the member concerned to be heard. She said Hassan was seen allegedly throwing the Israeli flag to the ground and dropping a flagpole, and that the EU flag was knocked down. Both flags were left on the ground when the member left, she said.

Hassan's Account

Hassan's staff said she removed the Israeli flag from its stand while leaving the venue, and that the EU flag, attached to the same base, then fell accidentally when the stand lost balance. They said neither flag was trampled or damaged. Hassan said her action was part of denouncing what she described as genocide by the Israeli government, a characterisation Israel rejects, and that it was not aimed at the victims or their memory. She told the Parliament that it is possible to commemorate the victims of October 7 without associating with the Israeli state.

Israeli Reaction

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticised Hassan, calling the incident shameful and outrageous, and saying it showed little respect for the institution in which she serves. Hassan was on a flotilla that tried to reach Gaza last year and was among activists detained and later expelled by Israeli authorities.