A French member of the European Parliament has removed an Israeli flag inside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, confirming that her action was a direct protest against the ongoing genocide in Gaza, breaches of international law, and institutional “double standards.”
“As I was leaving the building, I removed the Israeli flag from its stand,” the French MEP, Rima Hassan, wrote on X.
The incident occurred during an unofficial event organised alongside the diplomatic representation of Israel and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) within the building.
Rima Hassan explained that she acted after Israeli artist Yaron Bob denied the existence of the Palestinian people during an in-person exchange, asserting: “Palestine does not exist. It is a chimera, like unicorns… there are no Palestinian refugees, nor Palestinians.”
Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, addressed lawmakers during a plenary sitting, accusing Hassan of damaging the exhibition and stating the matter is being treated “extremely seriously” under official disciplinary procedures.
Hassan rejected accusations of vandalism or assault, explaining that the adjacent EU flag fell purely due to base imbalance when the Israeli flag was detached.
