A member of the European Parliament, Rima Hassan was detained by Israel in June after she joined the aid flotilla to Gaza. She told Jacobin about her experience — and why another aid mission is setting off this Sunday.
On Sunday, the next aid mission led by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition will set sail for Gaza, with another boat full of food and essential supplies destined for the besieged territory.
It will be the first ship attempting to break Israel’s blockade since the Madleen was seized by Israeli authorities on June 9. Among its crew of twelve were Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian member of the European Parliament (MEP) Rima Hassan.
Hassan had been elected last summer on a France Insoumise ticket, and has been one of France’s loudest voices calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. This has also guaranteed her a barrage of negative attention from the French political establishment, including legal attacks.
Far-right MEP Marion Maréchal (née Le Pen) recently called for Hassan to be stripped of her citizenship — terming her “French on paper” only. This came after interior minister Bruno Retailleau launched an investigation into Hassan’s alleged “terrorist apologism” — and after her questioning by police over similar charges.
Following this June’s aid mission, Israel detained Hassan for three days because she refused to sign a statement asserting that the Madleen was captured in Israeli waters. Hassan, who is an expert in international law, and Adalah, a human rights organization, have both made clear that the seizure took place in international waters.
Returning to Paris after her release, Hassan told a sea of…
Auteur: Rima Hassan
