French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament MEP Rima Hassan — a member of the radical left-wing France Insoumise (La France Insoumise) party — is now at the center of a formal European Parliament investigation after she allegedly removed and knocked to the ground both the Israeli and European Union flags. The incident occurred during an exhibition dedicated to the victims of the October 7th attack, triggering an immediate and forceful response from Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
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Metsola’s stern rebuke: “We will not tolerate intimidation”
Footage of the incident has been handed over to the relevant European Parliament services and is currently under review, according to an official statement provided to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Addressing the plenary session, Roberta Metsola underscored the gravity of the situation, stating that “a Member of the European Parliament was apparently filmed desecrating an exhibition” dedicated “to the victims of the terrorist attack carried out in Israel on October 7, 2023.”
She also made clear that all applicable disciplinary procedures are now being set in motion: “We are taking this matter extremely seriously and are taking all the appropriate measures provided for in our procedures, including respecting the right of the person involved to be heard.”
Concluding her remarks, the European Parliament President delivered a firm message that institutional conduct will not be compromised: “We cannot tolerate acts of this kind that could discourage people from speaking out, we cannot tolerate material damage, and we cannot tolerate attempts at intimidation instead of dialogue.” According to Hassan’s parliamentary group, the MEP had already provided an explanation “shortly after the incident.”
« Ce Parlement est un lieu où chacun doit pouvoir se sentir en sécurité. Alors que l’antisémitisme progresse dans le monde, nous le devons à la communauté juive d’Europe. » — Roberta Metsola. Rima Hassan aurait délibérément renversé les drapeaux israélien et européen à l’occasion d’une exposition en mémoire des victimes des attaques du 7-octobre. C’est inacceptable. Le Parlement européen condamne fermement ces actes inadmissibles.
— L’Europe Ensemble (@Ensemble_UE) October 6, 2026
What Hassan claims happened
Upon leaving the exhibition, she “removed the Israeli flag from its stand. The European Union flag, which was placed on the same stand, unfortunately fell due to the imbalance. No flag was trampled or damaged,” according to a statement emailed to AFP.
“Our action is part of our condemnation of the ongoing genocide being committed by the Israeli government,” but “was in no way directed at the people this event was intended to honor, nor at their memory,” the statement added.
In the plenary chamber, Hassan reiterated this argument. “We can very well, as we did with our group, honor the victims of October 7th without associating ourselves with the genocidal Israeli state,” she said.
Rima Hassan reconnaît donc, dans le plus grand des calmes, avoir touché au drapeau israélien, mais « pas au drapeau européen ». Comme si cela rendait la chose acceptable. Même l’hommage aux victimes du 7 octobre devient un terrain de provocation pour LFI. Indécent. https://t.co/wfnKlmdYl1
— Fabrice Leggeri (@FabriceLeggeri) October 6, 2026
Israel’s reaction
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sharply condemned French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan, who stands accused of knocking over Israeli and European flags the previous day at an exhibition commemorating the October 7, 2023 attacks.
“Shameful, scandalous, but unfortunately not surprising. The desecration of the exhibition honoring the victims of October 7th at the European Parliament by far-left MEP Rima Hassan demonstrates, above all, the little respect she has for the very institution she is part of,” he wrote on X.
