Paris, France – Franco-Palestinian activist and jurist Rima Hassan, a left-wing candidate in the upcoming European Parliament elections, is the subject of political and media scrutiny in France as the Israeli war on Gaza continues to rage.
Born stateless in April 1992 in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Hassan arrived in France with her family at the age of nine. She obtained French citizenship at age 18 and pursued a master’s degree in international law, writing her thesis on apartheid in South Africa and Israel; groups like Amnesty International and experts have long accused Israel of committing apartheid.
Hassan founded the Refugee Camp Observatory in 2019 and the Action Palestine France collective after October 7, when the Palestinian group Hamas led an incursion into southern Israel, sharply escalating the historic conflict.
After 1,139 people were killed and more than 200 captives in early October, Israeli bombings killed more than 36,400 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian enclave governed by Hamas.
Now a candidate for the left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI), or France Insoumise, in the upcoming European Parliament elections, Hassan has been criticized for her party’s stance on the conflict in Gaza.
LFI called for a ceasefire and condemned Israel and Hamas. But after October 7, Mathilde Panot, president of the left-wing party, called the Hamas assault an “armed offensive by Palestinian forces” – a comment that led to her being summoned by the police for alleged incitement to ” terrorism”. Hassan herself was asked to explain her use of a Palestinian slogan: “From the river to the sea”; ultimately, no charges were filed.
Tel Aviv Tribune interviewed Hassan about the response of France and the wider European community to the war in Gaza, her personal experience as a Palestinian politician in France and the upcoming European Parliament elections.
Tel Aviv Tribune: You recently suggested that “Israel is worse than Russia” in terms of respecting international law and argued that while Europe was quick to side with Ukraine and condemn Russia, the same cannot be said of the war in the Middle East. How do you see the overall European position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Rima Hassan: The response of France and the European Union to the Palestinian question has been inadequate, failing to uphold the values proclaimed by the EU of peace, freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human rights. The EU does not have a unified policy on this issue, reflecting deep divisions within European institutions, between countries and between governments and their citizens.
In contrast, the EU showed unanimous support for Ukraine after the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, providing aid and military support and implementing sanctions against Russia.
Although Israel violates more international resolutions than any other state and commits acts described as apartheid, it continues to enjoy impunity. Israel’s occupation and colonization of the Palestinian territories has lasted for more than 50 years and Gaza has been under an illegal blockade since 2006. Yet the struggle remains constant, particularly in Western countries, to impose sanctions on Israel.
Tel Aviv Tribune: What do you think of recent European initiatives to recognize a Palestinian state, and what additional actions would you like to see from France and Europe?
Hassan: Winning the narrative battle is crucial in Europe to achieve political and diplomatic progress on the Palestinian issue. Europeans need to be convinced that this is a European issue for several reasons. The Sykes-Picot Agreement committed Britain and France to colonial mandates, dividing the region. The partition of Palestine, which led to the creation of Israel, must be considered an annexation plan since the Palestinians were not consulted and it was adopted by a largely Western colonial international community, excluding the global South. And because Israel was created to fight European anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.
However, the creation of Israel led to Palestinian ethnic cleansing, with the expulsion of 800,000 Palestinians and the destruction of 532 villages since 1948, a process which continues.
Europe should recognize Palestine as a state to counter Israel’s colonization projects, impose economic sanctions by suspending the EU-Israel association agreement, impose an embargo on arms exports in the event of violations of human rights and implement diplomatic and political sanctions against Israel similar to those imposed on South Africa during apartheid. until international law is respected.
These measures can be implemented by individual states and serve as guidelines for the EU’s common foreign policy. The next European elections are historic in this sense.
Tel Aviv Tribune: How do you characterize France’s response to the war in Gaza so far?
Hassan: The responses of Europe and France have been hasty, confrontational and complicit in Israeli crimes, which go beyond the current conflict in Gaza. The UN has identified more than 120 companies, most of them Western, involved in the settlements. No European country has sanctioned Israel for its documented colonization and occupation of Palestinian territories. Israel is considered a Western outpost in the East, with historical and commemorative ties to the EU.
Created by the West in response to European anti-Semitism, Israel’s establishment in historic Palestine led to the displacement of Palestinians, a process accepted by Westerners familiar with colonialism. Many Western countries, including France, have not fully confronted their colonial past, as evidenced by France’s reluctance to address its history in Algeria.
Tel Aviv Tribune: In the run-up to the European elections, you received death threats and were also the subject of police investigations. Why do you think you face these problems?
Hassan: In France, my candidacy for the European elections faces significant political and legal pressure. I was threatened, insulted and subjected to anti-Palestinian racism. My Palestinian heritage is often denied and some of my speeches have been censored. I filed eight complaints in three months of campaigning and initiated procedures to ensure that my freedom of expression was respected so that I could give my conferences and speeches.
Palestinians who express political views face intense surveillance and backlash in Europe, particularly in France and Germany. The complaint filed against me for “advocating terrorism,” for example, was filed by the European Jewish Organization (EJO).
This procedure is clearly used primarily to silence those who speak out on Palestinian issues and criticize the Israeli regime. While these challenges are demanding, they pale in comparison to the struggles Palestinians face on the ground, underscoring the importance of remaining vigilant and dedicated.
Tel Aviv Tribune: How did you feel after witnessing pro-Palestinian student protests at universities in the US, UK and France?
Hassan: Student protests play a crucial role in the current situation, revealing widespread societal concern about the war in Gaza. These protests, led mainly by students from elite universities, highlight the importance of the Palestinian cause to future decision-makers.
It is essential that citizens and politicians, like me, stand in solidarity with these students, supporting their courage in the face of severe repression, including disciplinary measures, police custody and violence. Their courage contrasts sharply with the perceived cowardice of our societies.
Tel Aviv Tribune: If you win the European elections, what do you hope to achieve?
Hassan: Political engagement is always a question of balancing two things: timing and opportunity. This is the perfect time for me to take action on long-standing issues. The urgency of the Palestinian issue and the ongoing atrocities demand immediate action from all of us.
Additionally, the rise of the far right, which sows hatred and rejects displaced people and immigrants, highlights the need to defend international refugee law, an area in which I specialize.
This issue, closely linked to human rights and international law, requires investments in Europe to promote a progressive, united and humanist Europe, committed to its global responsibilities.
Joining LFI represented the perfect opportunity to align myself with a party whose program and collective issues on the European scene touch me.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.