MEP Rima Hassan disputes Parliament president's claims over Israeli flag incident

French EU lawmaker Rima Hassan, from the France Unbowed party and the European Parliament’s Left group, responded from the floor, calling Metsola's claims "factually false." Hassan stated she had removed the Israeli flag from its stand, but the EU flag had inadvertently fallen due to a loss of balance, and neither flag was damaged. She also told the chamber, "I did not touch the European flag."

Hassan defended her opposition to the Israeli flag's presence in Parliament, comparing it to displaying a Russian flag given the war in Ukraine. She also alleged the exhibition featured a map depicting a "Greater Israel" and that organizers had told her the Palestinian people and Palestine do not exist. These claims could not be immediately independently verified.

The exchange followed accusations on Monday night from French center-right lawmaker François-Xavier Bellamy, who said Hassan had thrown both flags to the ground and called for sanctions. Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno also accused Hassan of trampling the flags. A spokesperson for Metsola indicated that sanctions could be among the procedures considered, while a Parliament spokesperson confirmed that hearing from the lawmaker concerned was among the next steps.