A day after the European Parliament delegation headed by Rima Hassan was denied entry to Israel, reports on Tuesday said the Foreign Ministry had approved the delegation’s visit two months earlier despite accusations in Israel that she supports Hamas.
The Interior Ministry had blocked Hassan’s entry while she was already on a flight from Brussels, following a recommendation from the Diaspora Affairs and Antisemitism Ministry. Hassan landed at Ben Gurion Airport with the delegation but was denied entry due to her anti-Israel activism, including support for a boycott of Israel.
Rima Hassan landing in Israel
Hassan wrote on her X account that the Foreign Ministry had approved the delegation’s composition and schedule in January. She noted that the move came while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was in Brussels meeting European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and EU foreign ministers in the long-dormant Association Council forum.
"The pro-Israel trolls lie just as much as the genocidal state they defend," she wrote. "Not only was Rima Hassan rejected, but an entire official delegation from the European Parliament was prevented from carrying out its mission in the occupied Palestinian territories and we all know why.
“Israel’s self-centeredness is as infuriating as its propaganda. Passing through its airport was a necessity but our mission was solely in Palestinian territories. It’s time for the EU to act. It’s common for Israel to block parliamentary missions. It has barred UN experts, international NGOs and even the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor."
"Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was unaware of Rima Hassan’s request to enter Israel and did not approve it,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “When he learned of it yesterday, he clarified that her entry would violate a recent amendment to the Entry into Israel Law and should be denied."
Foreign Ministry Director-General Eden Bar-Tal ordered an investigation into the circumstances of Hassan’s request. "Given Hassan’s antisemitic views and support for Hamas, her complaints about Israel only highlight her audacity and reinforce her status as a hostile figure," the ministry said.
Hassan, a French citizen born in the Palestinian refugee camp of Nayrab in Syria, identifies as Palestinian and is considered one of Israel’s fiercest critics in the European Parliament. She claims to have condemned "Hamas’ war crimes" but refuses to "turn that natural empathy into support for Israel."
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In an official statement, she detailed the delegation’s planned meetings with EU diplomats, UN agencies, the Palestinian Authority, civil organizations and Palestinians affected by what she called Israel’s "colonial and ethnic cleansing policies."
She accused Israel of a last-minute reversal. "Banning members of an official European Parliament delegation, including its president and administrative staff, is an attack on EU institutions. This mission was approved by Israeli authorities, who had the participant list and itinerary for two months."
Hassan also criticized the EU for holding the Association Council meeting despite calls to suspend the agreement over "Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank." She vowed to "keep defending Palestinian rights and pushing for sanctions on Israel as long as it violates them."
She referenced former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s claim that 40,000 Palestinians had been evacuated from refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams as part of an IDF operation.
"Was Israel afraid we’d witness mass expulsions by its army or see tanks entering Jenin? Israel wants to prevent lawmakers from seeing the scale of its human rights violations. How much longer will the EU accept this humiliation?"
The Diaspora Affairs Ministry said that Hassan had publicly called for boycotts of companies operating in Israel, promoted sanctions and participated in boycott initiatives.
In May, she urged a boycott of the French TV channel TF1 over an interview with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Two months later, she accused Israel of apartheid and called for a total boycott. In September, she backed a boycott of French retailer Carrefour over its Israeli operations, and supported a boycott of Starbucks last week, claiming it was "complicit in genocide in Gaza."