A far-left French MP who claimed that Hamas is a “resistance movement” faces possible criminal prosecution for making an “apology for terrorism” after French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced he would be referring the MP’s comments to the public prosecutor.
MP Danièle Obono, member of the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) led by former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, spoke about Hamas on broadcaster Sud Radio this week and stated, “Yes, Hamas is a resistance movement. It is an Islamist political group which has an armed wing and which resists Israel.”
Obono, who is originally from the African country of Gabon, later tried to clarify her statement, writing on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “I said that Hamas is an Islamist political group that claims to be part of the resistance to the occupation of Palestine. That’s a fact. Neither an apology, nor an endorsement, nor an endorsement for their despicable war crimes against Israeli civilians.”
She also claimed in the aftermath of the Brussels terror attack that terrorism is not linked to migration, and that the majority of terror attacks in France are carried out by French nationals.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin reacted to Obono’s comments regarding Hamas on X, saying, “Hamas, ‘a resistance movement’? No! It is a terrorist movement. I am contacting the public prosecutor for advocating terrorism.”
Other French politicians also slammed Obono for her remarks, including centre-right Les Republicains leader Eric Ciotti, who posted, “MP Danièle Obono declares that Hamas is a resistance group. It is a terrorist organization responsible for the massacre of elderly people, the beheading of children, and the rape of Israeli women. This statement is an apology for Islamist terrorism!”
“I have just intervened in the office of the National Assembly to request sanctions and the lifting of the parliamentary immunity of MP Obono for advocating terrorism,” he added.
Obono’s comments come after others have criticised the leader of her party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, for his stance on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Just days after Hamas slaughtered hundreds of Israeli civilians, including women and children, the LFI claimed that the massacres were an “armed offensive by Palestinian forces,” which took place in “a context of intensification of the Israeli occupation policy.”
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, a leftist herself and member of the Socialist Party, reacted to Melenchon and his party, saying, “Following Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a dead end. It was true yesterday; it is true today,” and added, “His stance against Israel and his refusal to condemn the terrorist organisation Hamas are untenable.”
Both the LFI and the Socialists are part of a broad leftist coalition, Nupes, but Hidalgo has called for her party to end the alliance after the LFI comments.
While most political parties across Europe have condemned Hamas’ actions, some have attempted to contextualise them, while others have stated they will never condemn the terrorist group.
Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said he and his party DiEM25 would never condemn Hamas, saying, “Those who try very hard to extract from people like me and DiEM25 a condemnation of the attack by the Hamas guerillas will never get it.”
Varoufakis went on to claim that Palestinians live under a form of “apartheid” enacted by the Israelis, a sentiment shared by many other leftist politicians in Europe, including Spain’s acting Minister for Social Rights, Ione Belarra.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have also been seen throughout Western Europe, despite the fact that some have been banned, such as in France and Austria.
Austrian police in Vienna were inundated with hundreds of complaints over a pro-Palestine rally in the city’s iconic, central Stephansplatz that, despite being illegal, was allowed to continue for hours.