French-Syrian-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, 32, arrived in Israel Monday for meetings with Palestinian Authority officials, according to a European Parliament source, but was promptly denied entry by Israeli officials who had announced this move even before she landed.
Hassan appeared at Ben Gurion International Airport in the afternoon, and although she has a diplomatic passport, Israeli officials stressed that she would not be allowed to pass through passport control, potentially sparking a diplomatic row with Brussels.
The revelation of her upcoming visit, first reported by Israel Hayom, led to a flurry of reactions in Israel, including from Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, who vowed to deny her entry as the minister who is in charge of visas to Israel. "Hassan, who is expected to land from Brussels in the coming hour, consistently works to promote boycotts against Israel in addition to numerous public statements both on social media and in media interviews," Arbel's office said in a statement announcing that she would be denied entry. She and the other people accompanying her were seen by bystanders being deported back.
The decision to refuse her entry was made based on a recommendation from the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism and was made public in response to Israel Hayom's inquiry through a ministerial directive. The question now is whether Israel will permit Hassan to enter its territory, or if her entry will be prohibited and spark a diplomatic incident with the European Union, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar participates in an Association Council meeting at the EU.
Hassan regularly promotes extreme conspiracy theories against Israel and belongs to the France Unbowed party led by Jean-Luc Melenchon, who refused to condemn the Oct. 7 massacre. According to various media reports, Hassan herself referred to the October 7 massacre as "legitimate." On another occasion, Hassan stated Palestinians should be allowed to join armed resistance against Israel as long as French citizens are permitted to serve in the IDF.
Independent journalist Jonathan Serero, who has been following the case, states that "the parliament member denies that Hamas killed the Bibas family. She systematically incites against French Jews and is pro-Palestinian supporting terrorism."
Since her election to the European Parliament, Hassan arrives daily wearing a keffiyeh associated with some Palestinian violent national movements. According to an investigation by the German newspaper Jüdische Allgemeine, she characterized Hamas as a legitimate "resistance movement" and persistently accused Israel of "genocide."
In addition, She organized a demonstration against a television channel that interviewed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and alleged that the umbrella organization of French Jews functions as an Israeli lobbying group working with the French government. Her name has been associated with Hamas supporters and she has criticized parliament members who identify with and support Israel.
Recently, the Knesset approved the final amendment to the Entry into Israel Law, which will prevent the entry of foreigners who denied the Holocaust or the Oct. 7 massacre, or who supported prosecuting Israeli citizens for their security roles.
