The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, communicated this Tuesday that the institution will adopt the appropriate measures following an incident that occurred at an exhibition installed in the Eurochamber in tribute to the victims of the attacks on October 7, 2023. The flags of Israel and the European Union, placed as part of the display, ended up on the ground under circumstances that the Parliament is analyzing.
The episode has generated strong controversy in the hemicycle after several MEPs pointed to the French Rima Hassan, from La France Insoumise and integrated into the group of The Left, as responsible for attempting to boycott the memorial located at the Parliament's headquarters in Strasbourg (France). Her political group has outright rejected this version and has denounced the dissemination of "falsehoods" about what happened.
"A member of this Chamber was apparently recorded damaging an exhibition in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack on October 7 in Israel. The person in question was allegedly seen throwing the Israeli flag to the ground, dropping a pole, and the European Union flag was knocked down and left lying on the ground before the MEP left the place," Metsola recounted.
The Maltese conservative leader emphasized the seriousness of the incident and stressed that the European Parliament takes "with the utmost seriousness" what happened, which is why it is already implementing "all appropriate measures" according to its internal rules, also guaranteeing the right of "the person involved" to present their version before deciding if there are responsibilities.
At the same time, she lamented that this type of episode "can make people afraid to speak" and insisted on the importance of "not tolerating material damage" or "attempts to intimidate instead of debating," especially "at a time of rising antisemitism in the world."
"We owe it to the Jewish community of Europe to ensure that, when they look at us, they see that this is also their home. Tomorrow we will commemorate another anniversary since that dark October 7, three years ago, and on your behalf, I will speak at the event and we will remember the victims with the dignity they deserve," she concluded.
The Left denounces "falsehoods" and defends its MEP
The accusations against the representative of La Izquierda were launched, among others, by the French MEP of the European People's Party (EPP) François-Xavier Bellamy, who in plenary called for sanctions against Hassan. According to his complaint, the parliamentarian of La France Insoumise would have "torn down the European flag and the Israeli flag" during the visit to the exhibition and demanded that the Presidency act "without delay" in response to this behavior.
"Whatever our view of the situation in the Middle East," Bellamy stated, throwing the Israeli flag at a memorial event for October 7 amounts to aligning with those who, "also in Europe, seek to import again the anti-Semitic hatred that caused the worst hours in the history" of the continent.
In response, the La Izquierda group has denounced that "rumors are spreading rapidly" in the European Parliament and has explained that it is in contact with Metsola to "take stock and establish the facts," reiterating "solemnly" its support for the victims of the October 7 attacks.
"We are currently in contact with the President of the European Parliament to take stock and establish the facts and to say, solemnly, that we support the victims of the attacks on October 7 and that the act was nothing more than an act of support from the Parliament to the victims," stated in a press conference the co-chair of the La Izquierda group, the also French Manon Aubry.
Aubry defended that "no flag was trampled" and assured that, in reality, "there is a commercialization of products from illegal colonies in Israel at that event." She added that she leaves "in the hands of that dialogue" with Metsola the possible decisions regarding the accusations against one of her MEPs.
Israel's reaction: "shameful" and "scandalous"
The controversy has also resonated in Israel. The Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, has described what happened as "shameful" and "scandalous" and has accused Hassan of "desecrating" the exhibition in memory of the victims of October 7.
"The desecration of the exhibition commemorating the victims of October 7 in the European Parliament by the far-left MEP Rima Hassan says above all how little respect she has for the very institution in which she serves," he stated in a message on social media.
Next, Saar has thanked Metsola for her "determination" to address the incident and "for making it clear that such an offense will be dealt with in the most vigorous terms," in addition to applauding the MEPs who "immediately condemned this shameful act."