French MEP Rima Hassan Removes “Israeli” Flag in Protest Over Gaza War

By Staff, Agencies

French European Parliament member Rima Hassan said Tuesday that she removed an “Israeli” flag during an event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg as a protest against what she described as the ongoing genocide in Gaza, violations of international law and what she called “unbearable double standards.”

Hassan said the incident took place Monday during “an unofficial event was organized with the diplomatic representation of the ‘State of “Israel”’ and the AJC [American Jewish Committee], which has been called out for its promotion of colonization through trips by European deputies to the occupied territories,” according to a statement she posted on X.

She also objected to items displayed during the event, saying necklaces featured a map of “Israel” that included Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. Hassan argued that such imagery contradicted the European Union’s established diplomatic position concerning the occupied territories.

Hassan further described an exchange with “Israeli” artist Yaron Bob, who had been invited to the event, saying that he denied the existence of Palestine and Palestinians.

“I quote: ‘Palestine does not exist. It is a chimera, like unicorns,’ then ‘there are no Palestinian refugees, nor Palestinians’,” she wrote.

Hassan said she removed the “Israeli” flag while leaving the event.

“As I was leaving, I removed the ‘Israeli’ flag from its stand,” said Hassan. “My gesture is part of the denunciation of the ongoing genocide, of violations of international law and of this incessant and unbearable double standard.”

She contrasted the treatment of “Israel” with that of Russia, arguing that a Russian flag would not be permitted inside European Parliament premises while “Israel,” in her view, continues to benefit from what she called “total impunity.”

The incident prompted a response from European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who accused Hassan of damaging the exhibition and said the matter was being treated “extremely seriously.”

“All appropriate steps according to our procedures are being taken,” Metsola told lawmakers during a plenary sitting Tuesday.

Hassan rejected the characterization of her actions as an attack on the exhibition.

She explained that the European Union flag positioned on the same stand fell because removing the “Israeli” flag created an imbalance. According to Hassan, neither flag was intentionally damaged or mistreated.

“No flag was trampled, damaged or thrown away,” she said.

Hassan also said she had written to Metsola to provide her account of what occurred and urged the Parliament president to respond to journalists seeking access to video footage of the incident.

She argued that making the footage public would help establish what happened and prevent what she described as the spread of “fake news.”

The dispute has added to the broader political controversy within European institutions over the Gaza war, the conduct of “Israel” in the occupied Palestinian territories and the differing approaches taken by European officials toward “Israel” and other states involved in international conflicts.