In seventh position on the LFI European list, pro-Palestine activist Rima Hassan created controversy because of these latest statements. Now summoned by the police for advocating terrorism, she could become a burden for the rebel list.
Less than two months before the European elections, this is a summons that La France Insoumise would have done well without. After the serial cancellations of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s conferences, Rima Hassan, candidate in seventh position on the LFI list for the European elections, was summoned by the police for advocating terrorism “in order to be heard freely on facts of public apology for an act of terrorism, committed by means of an online public communication service”. Facts which would have occurred between November 5 and December 1, 2023 according to the police, before the latter was included on the rebellious list for the continental election next June. A summons revealed by the newspaper Le Monde then consulted by AFP.
“From the river to the sea”
Palestinian rights activist Rima Hassan described the Israeli army as “the most immoral army in the world” last November. She also wrote “From the river to the sea. We want to liberate ALL Palestinians. Those in the camps, those in Gaza, those in Jerusalem, those in the West Bank, those in Israel and all those in the diaspora. This is not that on this condition we can speak of a Palestinian State, of a Palestinian people. Pretending to offer a Palestinian State in an enclave which will in fact prevent all Palestinians from uniting and determining their common destiny is, I tell you in advance, make Gaza 2”. With these declarations, they particularly attracted the wrath of the opposition, accusing it of fueling hatred against Israel.
This summons by the police comes, what’s more, a few weeks before an election in which La France Insoumise seems to be doing poorly, and has been doing so since the start of the campaign. According to an Ifop-Fiducial survey for LCI and TF1info, the LFI list led by Manon Aubry is credited with 8% of voting intentions. Quite far behind the leading trio, currently composed of the PS/Place publique list led by Raphaël Glucksmann (11.5%), Valérie Hayer for the majority (17.5%), and the RN list led by Jordan Bardella, still well ahead with 31.5% of voting intentions.
“She is the representative of the ideas that Hamas conveys”
The least we can say is that this summons did not at all please the coordinator of La France Insoumise, Manuel Bompard. “Rima Hassan has never advocated terrorism and it is astonishing, scandalous to attack her on this infamous basis” he declared this Monday morning on France Info. He also denounced an “increasingly authoritarian drift. I believe that there is a desire on the part of those in power to criminalize opposition.” It is clear that the presence of Rima Hassan has, for the moment, not really given new impetus to the rebellious list which seems to be bogged down in controversies and quarrels with the other parties.
It was enough for the opposition to rush into the breach. She “is the representative of the ideas that Hamas conveys,” says the president of the Renaissance group in the National Assembly, Sylvain Maillard. “It carries a project which is (…) not conducive to a political solution and peace” analyzes the leader of the communists, Fabien Roussel.
Rima Hassan serene and combative before her summons
The main person concerned feels “serene and combative,” she told AFP. “Serene because I believe I have nothing to reproach myself for, having always expressed myself critically both towards Hamas and its terrorist mode of operation but also towards Israel. And I am very combative because I believe that this are political maneuvers,” she added. “The summons refers to publications from November. For those who think that it is a question of the interview given to Le Crayon, you are wrong, it was published in January, she insisted on clarifying on “. An interview – for Le Crayon – during which Rima Hassan responded “true” to the statement: “Hamas is carrying out legitimate action”.
“We are six months later. A summons for advocating terrorism is still quite heavy, generally urgent, it does not take six months to summon someone” she was surprised. “Rima Hassan has always complied with the law, there is absolutely no criminal offense which would be characterized in connection with her various publications on the question of Gaza” continued her lawyer Vincent Brengarth on Saturday on France Info.