Rima Hassan accused of knocking down Israeli and EU flags

French MEP Rima Hassan is under investigation by the European Parliament following an incident at an exhibition commemorating the October 7, 2023, attacks. Several lawmakers, including François-Xavier Bellamy, accused Hassan of throwing both the Israeli and European Union flags to the ground. Bellamy described the act as an “indignity” and called for immediate sanctions.

Hassan and her team have provided a different account, admitting she intentionally removed the Israeli flag as a symbolic protest against the Israeli government's actions in Gaza, but maintaining that the European flag fell accidentally due to an imbalance in the display stand. Her office stated that “no flag was trampled or damaged.”

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has stated that the institution is taking the matter “extremely seriously” and is conducting an analysis of the incident, including reviewing surveillance footage. Potential disciplinary measures could include a formal reprimand, temporary suspension from certain activities, or the withholding of daily allowances. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from various political groups, with some officials linking the gesture to rising antisemitism in Europe.