Flash photo of Rima Hassan, European deputy and member of La France Insoumise (LFI), speaking alongside her lawyer Vincent Brengarth during a press conference following a hearing at the regional headquarters of the Paris judiciary police in Paris, France, on April 3, 2026. Photo: REUTERS

European Union lawmaker Rima Hassan has sparked fierce backlash again after removing Israeli and EU flags from an exhibition commemorating the victims of the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as the memorial marked the third anniversary of the attacks.

During an EU parliamentary session on Monday in Strasbourg, France, Hassan — a 34-year-old French-Palestinian lawyer and activist who was elected to the European Parliament in 2024 — allegedly threw an Israeli flag to the floor and disrupted an Oct. 7 memorial exhibition, in an incident that has drawn condemnation from senior European officials.

In a statement from her office, Hassan admitted to removing the Israeli flag from its stand but claimed that the European Union flag, which was attached to the same base, fell accidentally because the stand became unbalanced.

She also claimed that neither flag was stepped on or damaged, contradicting earlier reports about the incident.

According to local media reports, Hassan also confronted Israeli artist Yaron Bob, who created the exhibition and was present at the time, accusing him of presenting a “one-sided account” of the Oct. 7 atrocities and questioning the exhibition’s portrayal of the events.

During their conversation, Bob identified himself as Israeli, to which Hassan reportedly responded, “Israel doesn’t exist.”

Shortly after the incident was reported, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola strongly condemned Hassan’s actions, stressing that the Parliament must remain a safe place for Europe’s Jewish community and vowing to take “all appropriate steps” in response.

“This house is a place where all of us must feel safe and secure and we reject in the strongest possible terms any action by any person that feels or makes anyone feel less protected,” the senior EU official said in a statement.

“At a time of rising global antisemitism, we owe it to Europe’s Jewish community to ensure that when they look at us, they see that this is their house too,” she continued.

Following the incident in which Israeli and EU flags were overturned at an October 7 exhibition in the European Parliament, President @RobertaMetsola delivered a clear message: intimidation has no place in Parliament.

“Europe’s Jewish communities must know that the European Parliament is their House too.”

— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) October 6, 2026

Although no official disciplinary action has been announced yet, Hassan could face a formal reprimand, a temporary suspension from parliamentary activities, and/or the loss of her €350 daily allowance for up to 60 days.

During Tuesday’s parliamentary session, Hassan accused Metsola of making comments that were “factually false,” rejecting the characterization of her actions and defending her decision to remove the Israeli flag from the exhibition.

She said the exhibition was organized in partnership with the Israeli embassy and objected to the Israeli flag being displayed inside the EU Parliament, comparing its presence to displaying a Russian flag there amid Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

EU Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno strongly condemned Hassan’s actions and remarks, accusing her of showing a disturbing lack of respect for the victims of Oct. 7 and the institution in which she serves.

“Not even in the face of tragedy, her antisemitism can be put aside. Shame on her,” she said in a statement.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also denounced the incident as “shameful” and “outrageous,” accusing Hassan of disrespecting the memory of those killed in the Oct. 7 atrocities.

“The desecration of the exhibition commemorating the victims of Oct. 7 at the European Parliament by radical-left MEP Rima Hassan says above all how little respect she has for the very institution in which she serves,” the top Israeli diplomat wrote in a post on X.

Shameful, outrageous, but sadly not surprising.

The desecration of the exhibition commemorating the victims of October 7 at the European Parliament by radical-left MEP Rima Hassan says above all how little respect she has for the very institution in which she serves.

I commend the Members of the European Parliament who immediately condemned this disgraceful act, and thank @EP_President Roberta Metsola for her determination and for making clear that such an offense will be dealt with in the strongest terms.

— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) October 6, 2026

The European Jewish Congress joined the condemnation, calling Hassan’s actions deeply offensive and accusing her of turning a memorial honoring the victims of the Oct. 7 massacre into a political confrontation.

“This goes far beyond political disagreement or provocation. These flags formed part of a memorial to the victims of the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and to those abducted by Hamas. To deliberately interfere with such a memorial, on the eve of the anniversary of the attacks, would show a profound contempt for their memory and for the suffering of their families,” the statement read.

“The victims of Oct. 7 and the hostages deserve dignity and respect. Their memory must never become a target for political provocation,” it continued.

We are appalled by reports that MEP Rima Hassan knocked down the Israeli and European flags displayed at the European Parliament as part of an exhibition honouring the victims and hostages of the October 7 massacre.

If confirmed, this goes far beyond political disagreement or provocation. These flags formed part of a memorial to the victims of the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and to those abducted by Hamas. To deliberately interfere with such a memorial, on the eve of the anniversary of the attacks, would show a profound contempt for their memory and for the suffering of their families.

That such an incident is alleged to have taken place inside the European Parliament makes it all the more serious. We call on the Parliament to establish exactly what happened, make the relevant evidence public and, if the allegations are confirmed, take appropriate disciplinary action.

The victims of October 7 and the hostages deserve dignity and respect. Their memory must never become a target for political provocation.

— European Jewish Congress (@eurojewcong) October 6, 2026

Hassan, who was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, has repeatedly drawn controversy over her outspoken anti-Israel activism and faced investigations for promoting hateful speech.

Last year, the French diplomat was expelled from Israel after being arrested while attempting to reach Gaza aboard the vessel Madleen to “break the Israeli blockade.”

She has also been subject to an investigation in Paris for “apology of terrorism” following an interview given after the Oct. 7 atrocities, in which she justified Hamas’s actions.

The lawmaker is currently on trial in France over online remarks prosecutors have linked to support for terrorism, further intensifying scrutiny of her anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric.