French-Palestinian European Representative Rima Hassan faces trial on July 7, 2026, on charges of “praising terrorism,” in the wake of her republication of a tweet containing a quote from Japanese Red Army member Kozo Okamoto, who participated in the Lod Airport operation in 1972 (which resulted in the deaths of 26 people).
Many French media outlets agreed that this trial goes beyond Rima Hassan and constitutes a turning point in the French state’s dealings with the Palestine solidarity movements.
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Several newspapers believe that this case reflects a deeper crisis within the corridors of politics and the judiciary in France that goes beyond being merely a legal accountability of a young politician, and is turning into a reverse trial, as while the authorities seek to prosecute Rima Hassan, Rima, the generation she represents, and those boycotting her, put the entire French system in the dock.
Orient 21, Mediapart, Nouvelle Ops, and L’Humanité agree that this trial is a political issue par excellence.
These websites and newspapers agreed that there is a state of “judicial arbitrariness” and the ongoing persecution of the representative, as 16 complaints have been filed against her since her election.
They also unanimously agreed that this trial reflects a general French trend towards criminalizing solidarity with Palestine and suppressing freedom of expression under the cover of the “praising terrorism” law.
In this context, the Orian 21 website focused on the historical and political dimension of the term “terrorism” through a written testimony provided by the site’s director and veteran journalist, Alain Gresh.
Gresh stated that yesterday’s terrorists often became respected statesmen later, citing the Algerian National Liberation Front, the Palestine Liberation Organization, and Syrian Prime Minister Ahmed al-Sharaa.
He pointed to the stark contradiction that France is experiencing. Kurdish fighters (the Kurdistan Workers’ Party) were considered heroes when they fought the Islamic State (ISIS) despite being classified as terrorists.
The writer recalled a quote by the late French leader, General Charles de Gaulle, in which he warned in 1967 that occupation inevitably generates resistance, even if the occupier always describes it as “terrorism.”
Gresh sarcastically wondered whether de Gaulle himself would be tried today on charges of “praising terrorism” in light of the current French collusion with Israel, which killed more than 73,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
Media Part was unique in providing an in-depth social analysis of the movement in support of Palestine, considering that Rima Hassan is the media embodiment of a new generation that the site called “the generation of extermination.”
Media Part: The Genocide Generation is radically different from previous generations. It is younger, more ethnically diverse, and less connected to traditional parties, but more radical and noisy.
The website pointed out that this generation is radically different from previous generations, as it is younger, more ethnically diverse, less connected to traditional parties, but more “radical” and noisy.
This generation, according to the site, broke the monopoly of the old historical organizations, and moved mobilization to popular neighborhoods, universities and social networks, abandoning classical demands such as the “two-state solution.”
As for Nouvel Ops magazine, it focused on the personal and political side of Rima Hassan through a lengthy interview with her on the eve of the trial, where she explained her position and defended herself clearly.
The MP revealed her anger at police leaking false information to the media while she was in pre-trial detention about her possession of a synthetic drug, which was later proven to be just the legal substance “cannabidiol” (CBD) that she was using to treat spasticity.
“I felt betrayed by my country,” she said bitterly.
Rima Hassan defended her publication of the quote by Japanese Red Army member Kozo Okamoto, stressing that her goal was to document history and the “philosophy of resistance” during the era of international struggle, and not to glorify his operations that targeted civilians.
Rima boldly stated, “We are carrying out a clean-up campaign with the Boomers generation… I judge them rudely, yes, but rightly.”
She confirmed that she belongs to the post-Oslo generation, considering that previous generations failed, and therefore she rejects the two-state solution and frankly calls for a “bi-national” state, even if that currently conflicts with the official line of the “Proud France” party.
Le Mante newspaper devoted space on its pages to a petition signed by more than 200 French and international figures (among them Christian Taubira, Judith Butler, Annie Ernault, Roger Waters, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon) under the explicit title rejecting “Délit de Palestine” (meaning: considering solidarity with Palestine a crime).
Petition signatories: Targeting Rima Hassan is part of a broader strategy aimed at distorting the facts and intimidating society
The signatories fiercely defended Rima Hassan’s right, considering that what she published falls under a principle guaranteed by international law, which is “the right of peoples to resist colonialism and occupation.”
The signatories warned that targeting Rima Hassan is part of a broader strategy aimed at distorting the facts and intimidating society.
They stressed that transforming exceptional legislation designated to combat terrorism into tools to suppress political debate is an alarm bell that threatens public freedoms and democracy in France as a whole, warning that giving up these freedoms paves the way for the rise of the extreme right.
The coverage of these newspapers reflects the extent of polarization. While the state is trying Rima Hassan on flexible legal charges related to “terrorism,” her defenders see this as a political trial for a new generation that has broken taboos, and a desperate attempt by the authorities to silence a voice defending the rights of Palestinians guaranteed by international law.
Source: Orian 21 + Loops + Lumanité + mediapart
