Rima Hassan

Her activism for Palestine

Hassan’s views on Palestine are deeply rooted in her personal history as a refugee and her expertise in international law. She frames the Palestinian struggle as one of decolonization and resistance against what she calls an “illegal occupation” and “apartheid regime” imposed by Israel. Key aspects include:

• Historical Injustice and the Right of Return: She emphasizes the Nakba as the foundational trauma, arguing that Palestinians, including refugees like herself, have an inalienable right to return to their ancestral lands under UN Resolution 194. In interviews, she has questioned, “On what grounds can I not return to my grandparents’ village?” She rejects the two-state solution as unviable due to ongoing settlement expansion, instead advocating for a single, democratic binational state ensuring equal rights for all inhabitants between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. She uses the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” interpreting it as a call for liberation from oppression rather than the destruction of Israel.
• Criticism of Israeli Policies: Rima describes Israel’s control over Palestinian territories as a system of “apartheid,” citing fragmented legal statuses (e.g., military rule in the West Bank, civil law for settlers, and a 17-year blockade on Gaza). She accuses Israel of “impunity” for war crimes, including settlement building, home demolitions, and collective punishments. In media appearances, she argues that the Oslo Accords have perpetuated occupation rather than peace, serving as a “smokescreen” for colonization.
• Broader Context: She links the Palestinian cause to global anti-colonial struggles, comparing it to historical independence movements. Hassan criticizes Western media and governments for bias, claiming they marginalize Palestinian voices and equate criticism of Israel with antisemitism. She has called for boycotts of Israel and urged the EU to make Palestine a central issue in foreign policy.

Her activism includes founding NGOs to protect refugee camps worldwide and speaking at events like the French Senate on “Israel-Palestine: State of Affairs,” where she highlighted apartheid in Israeli society.

Her activism for Gaza

Hassan’s stance on Gaza is particularly fervent, viewing it as the epicenter of Palestinian suffering under the genocide.

• Israel genocide in Gaza: Rima described Israel’s operations in Gaza as “genocide,” “ethnic cleansing,” and “collective punishment,” citing over 48,000 Palestinian deaths (mostly civilians, per UN-reliable Hamas health ministry data as of early 2025), famine, and infrastructure destruction. She argues the blockade violates international humanitarian law by preventing safe evacuation and aid delivery, turning Gaza—the world’s most densely populated area—into an “open-air prison.” In October 2023, she told Bondy Blog that Israel’s retaliation was “totally disproportionate,” with no safe havens for civilians, and warned of daily violations of war laws. By 2025, she has accused Israel of a “campaign of deliberate famine” and bombing civilians at night during survival attempts.
• Humanitarian Actions: In June 2025, Rima joined the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Madleen ship (with activists like Greta Thunberg) to deliver symbolic aid (rice, baby formula, medical supplies) to Gaza and challenge the naval blockade. The vessel was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, leading to her brief detention, solitary confinement (after writing “Free Palestine” on her cell wall), and deportation. She framed the mission as exposing “colonial complicity” by the West and Arab states’ “cowardice,” declaring, “When they arrest us, I look at them serene, assured of the liberation of Palestine.” Post-release, she rallied supporters in Paris, emphasizing the action’s role in highlighting Gaza’s humanitarian disaster.