French-Palestinian activist and jurist Rima Hassan, a leftist candidate in the upcoming European Parliament elections, has been the subject of political and media scrutiny in France as Israel’s war on Gaza continues to rage.

Born stateless in April 1992 in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Hassan arrived in France with her family when she was nine. She obtained French nationality at 18 and pursued a master’s degree in international law, writing her thesis on apartheid in South Africa and Israel; groups such as Amnesty International and experts have long accused Israel of committing apartheid.

Hassan founded the Observatory of Refugee Camps in 2019 and the Action Palestine France collective after October 7, when Palestinian group Hamas led an incursion into southern Israel, which sharply escalated the historic conflict.

After 1,139 people were killed and more than 200 taken captive in early October, Israeli bombing has killed more than 36,400 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian enclave governed by Hamas.

Now a candidate for the left-wing La France insoumise (LFI), or France Unbowed party, in the upcoming European Parliament elections, Hassan has faced criticism for her party’s stance on the conflict in Gaza.

LFI has called for a ceasefire and condemned both Israel and Hamas. But after October 7, Mathilde Panot, president of the left-wing party, cast the Hamas assault as an “armed offensive by Palestinian forces” – a comment which saw her summoned by police for allegedly inciting “terrorism”. Hassan herself was asked to explain her use of a Palestinian slogan, “From the river to the sea“; ultimately no charges were brought.

Al Jazeera interviewed Hassan about France and the wider European community’s response to the war in Gaza, her personal experience as a Palestinian politician in France, and the upcoming European Parliament elections.

Al Jazeera: You recently suggested that “Israel is worse than Russia” in terms of respecting international law and argued that while Europe was quick to side with Ukraine and condemn Russia, the same cannot be said for the war in the Middle East. How do you view the overarching European position on the Israel-Palestine conflict?

Rima Hassan: France and the European Union’s response to the Palestinian question has been inadequate, failing to uphold the EU’s proclaimed values of peace, freedom, democracy, rule of law and human rights. The EU lacks a unified policy on this issue, reflecting deep divisions within European institutions, between countries, and between governments and their citizens.

In stark contrast, the EU showed unanimous support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, providing aid and military support, and implementing sanctions against Russia.

Despite Israel violating more international resolutions than any other state and committing acts documented as apartheid, it continues to enjoy impunity. Israel’s occupation and colonisation of the Palestinian territories have persisted for over 50 years, and Gaza has been under an illegal blockade since 2006. Yet, it remains a constant struggle, especially in Western countries, to impose sanctions on Israel.

Al Jazeera: What do you think of recent European moves to recognise Palestinian statehood, and what further action would you like to see from France and Europe?

Hassan: Winning the narrative battle is crucial in Europe to make political and diplomatic progress on the Palestinian issue. Europeans need to be convinced that it is a European issue for several reasons. The Sykes-Picot Agreement committed Britain and France to colonial mandates, dividing the region. The partition of Palestine, leading to Israel’s creation, should be viewed as an annexation plan since Palestinians were not consulted, and it was adopted by a largely Western, colonial international community, excluding the Global South. And because Israel was created to address European anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.