A response ahead of the anniversary
The European Parliament is examining an incident at an exhibition in Strasbourg commemorating victims of the October 7, 2023 Hamas led attack on Israel. Parliament President Roberta Metsola said on Tuesday, October 6, that the matter was being treated seriously and that the relevant procedures were underway, including the member’s right to be heard.
The development concerns French MEP Rima Hassan, whose office confirmed that she removed an Israeli flag from its stand. Her official parliamentary profile lists her as a member of La France Insoumise and Parliament’s Left group. The review does not itself establish a disciplinary violation or a penalty.
What is acknowledged, and what remains disputed
According to Euronews, Hassan’s office said the European Union flag, attached to the same base, fell because the structure became unbalanced. It denied that either flag had been stepped on or damaged. The office described her action as a protest against the event’s association with Israel’s diplomatic representation.
The exhibition’s co organizers, IMPAC and the AJC Transatlantic Institute, condemned her conduct in a statement published on October 6. They placed the incident the previous afternoon and said members of the exhibition team witnessed it. Their account said she knocked down the flags, stepped over them and left them on the floor. That is the organizers’ account, not a finding from the parliamentary review. That account does not establish the separate allegation that the flags were trampled.
The next decision belongs to Parliament
Euronews reported, citing an official in Metsola’s office, that the presidency was examining surveillance footage before deciding how to proceed. The official said a decision would not be taken during the current plenary session. No sanction was announced in those reports.
Metsola also emphasized the safety of people in Parliament and the importance of ensuring that European Jewish communities feel represented there. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the incident and thanked her for her response.
For the memorial, the immediate institutional response is the significant development: Parliament has begun examining what happened while preserving a hearing for the member concerned. The disputed circumstances and any disciplinary outcome remain separate questions.
