Israel’s ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, said a commemorative event in the European Parliament reflected a growing problem of antisemitism in France. The event took place in Strasbourg as the world marked the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks by Hamas. The war in Gaza continues, with the report describing a human catastrophe, tens of thousands of deaths and no clear path to peace.
The disputed incident centers on a flag and two competing accounts. French MEP Rima Hassan was accused of kicking an Israeli flag to the ground. She denied throwing it down, saying she had removed it from its stand. The account reports both the accusation and her denial; it doesn’t establish that she kicked the flag.
A dispute inside Parliament
Zarka’s assessment went beyond the event itself. He told Europe Editor Maria Tadeo that the episode reflected a growing problem of antisemitism in France. That’s the ambassador’s characterization, linked in the report to the Strasbourg incident. Hassan, meanwhile, described her action as political protest against Israel’s conduct and what she called unequal treatment within the European Parliament.
In a post on X, Hassan wrote: “My gesture is part of the denunciation of the ongoing genocide, of violations of international law, and of this incessant and unbearable double standard: a Russian flag would never be admitted within the institution’s premises. The State of Israel, which is a partner in this event through its embassy, continues to enjoy total impunity.”
Hassan compared how the institution treats a Russian flag with how it treats the Israeli flag. She also described Israel as enjoying “total impunity” and called the situation an “ongoing genocide.” Those are Hassan’s claims, not findings established by the account. Her explanation is part of the dispute, just as the accusation against her remains an accusation, not an established act.
War, memory and competing claims
The event joined a commemoration with a public argument about the war in Gaza. The report says the world marked the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks by Hamas as the war continued. It describes the consequences in stark terms: a human catastrophe, tens of thousands dead, and no clear path to peace. The report gives no more precise death toll, so none can be added here.
The incident has drawn sharply different political claims. Zarka linked it to antisemitism in France. Hassan said her gesture denounced the war, alleged violations of international law and what she called a double standard inside the European Parliament. The account gives readers both positions, but offers no separate finding on how Hassan handled the flag or resolution of the arguments in her post.
That distinction matters. An allegation of antisemitism is serious; so is a claim of unequal treatment and impunity. The reported facts are limited: the event took place in Strasbourg, Hassan was accused of kicking the flag, she denied throwing it down and said she removed it from its stand, and Zarka said the episode reflected a growing problem. The war’s continuing human toll hangs over the exchange. The event took place in the European Parliament, where opposing accounts of the flag and its meaning met.