STRASBOURG — French EU lawmaker Rima Hassan pushed back Tuesday against European Parliament President Roberta Metsola’s claim that Israeli and EU flags had been knocked over.
Metsola said before Tuesday’s votes that a member of the Parliament had been filmed on Monday evening “apparently damaging” an exhibition marking the Oct. 7 attacks.
According to Metsola, they were seen throwing an Israeli flag to the ground and dropping a flagpole, and an EU flag was also knocked over. She said both flags were left on the floor.
“We take this extremely seriously,” Metsola said, adding that “all appropriate steps” were being taken and that the individual concerned would have the right to give their side of the story.
She said Parliament could not tolerate property damage or actions that could be seen as intimidation.
“At a time of rising global antisemitism, we owe it to Europe’s Jewish community to ensure that when they look to us, they see that this is their house too,” Metsola said.
Metsola did not announce any sanctions or name the individual. A spokesperson for the president said the procedures under consideration could include sanctions, while a Parliament spokesperson said the next steps included hearing from the lawmaker concerned.
Hassan, a lawmaker from the France Unbowed party and the European Parliament’s Left group, responded from the floor minutes later, accusing Metsola of making comments that were “factually false.”
Hassan said the exhibition had been organized in...
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