French MEP Rima Hassan Faces Probe For Allegedly Removing Israeli Flag

French EU lawmaker Rima Hassan faces an investigation after allegations that she threw Israeli and European Union flags to the floor at an exhibition commemorating the 2023 Hamas attack.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola stated she takes the allegations extremely seriously and that appropriate steps are being taken, including Hassan's right to be heard. Metsola said a member of the house was filmed apparently damaging an exhibition and was seen allegedly throwing the flag of Israel to the ground, which also caused the European Union flag to be knocked down.

Both flags were reportedly left lying on the ground before the member left the scene. The incident occurred on Monday, October 6, during an event marking three years since the October 7, 2023 attack. Hassan's staff issued a statement explaining that she removed the Israeli flag from its stand while leaving the exhibition venue, and the European Union flag, attached to the same base, accidentally fell due to the loss of balance.

Her staff asserted that neither flag was trampled or damaged. Hassan, a Palestinian-origin lawmaker with the France Unbowed (LFI) party, stated her action was part of denouncing the ongoing genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli government but was in no way aimed at the people this event sought to honour, nor at their memory. She told the EU parliament that it is entirely possible to commemorate the victims of October 7 without associating with the genocidal Israeli state. Fellow lawmakers have criticized Hassan's actions, sparking protests.