Ofer Cassif, Israeli Knesset Member Facing Threats for Opposing Israeli Crimes

Ofer Cassif, a member of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), was born in 1964 and is a member of the far-left Arab-majority party, “Hadash.” A professor and lecturer at several Israeli universities, Cassif is known for his controversial views on the Zionist movement, settlement, and the overall political landscape.

Cassif, who is facing threats of expulsion from the Knesset, joined South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel before the International Court of Justice.

Early Life and Education

Born on December 25, 1964, in the settlement of Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv, Cassif is the only child of a left-leaning family. He is fluent in Hebrew, English, and Spanish and has been politically active since his high school days.

Education and Academic Background

Cassif received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Philosophy from the Hebrew University, and went on to pursue a doctoral degree in Political Philosophy at the London School of Economics, completing a post-doctoral fellowship at Columbia University in New York.

Before his election to the Knesset, he worked as a lecturer in the field of politics and government at the Hebrew University, the Academic College in Tel Aviv, and Sapir College.

Cassif became a member of the Knesset for the Arab-Jewish Hadash party in March 2019.

Political Experience

During the First Intifada, Cassif was the first to refuse service in the occupied territories, leading to his imprisonment four times. He also joined the Communist party and the Front movement, where he held leadership positions.

Cassif previously served as an assistant to the late Knesset member Meir Vilner, who was a member of the Israeli Communist Party and the Secretary-General of the party.

He opposes the Jewish nationalist movement that led to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, and prior to entering the Knesset, he referred to the then Minister of Justice, Ayelet Shaked, as “the new Nazis’ scum” and Benjamin Netanyahu as “the main killer.”

Cassif held several positions in the Israeli Knesset, including membership in the Anti-Trafficking and Prostitution Lobby, Arab Women’s Employment Lobby, Violence against Women Prevention and Rights Advocacy Lobby in mixed cities in 2021.

He also served on the subcommittee to appoint Arab teachers in schools, the finance committee, education, culture, and sports committee from 2021. Cassif chaired the Public Psychology, Academic and Cultural Freedom, Climate Crisis Resolution, and Popular Housing Crisis lobby in 2023.

On October 18, 2023, the Ethics Committee decided to suspend him from the Knesset for 45 days and withhold his salary for two weeks due to his statements against Israel during the war on Gaza.

Key Statements and Positions

Cassif is a staunch advocate of the two-state solution and opposes the presence of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories. He believes that the “middle ground” is the division of the land to create a sovereign, independent Palestinian state in the territories occupied by Israel in June 1967, including Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank.

In February 2022, he participated in protests in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, opposing the eviction of families and the settlement of settlers in their homes.

On December 23, 2023, he took part in a demonstration against the Israeli war on Gaza, where he tweeted, “An immediate ceasefire and a prisoner swap agreement are the only way to save human lives, the highest value of all.”

Regarding the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice, Cassif announced his support, accusing the government of Benjamin Netanyahu of advocating “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” amid the war on Gaza.

He clarified that his support for the lawsuit stemmed from the belief in the necessity of an independent investigation of events in Gaza by an impartial body. He also expressed a desire to stop the killing that claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians and hundreds of Israeli soldiers, in addition to the 136 Israeli prisoners still held by Hamas, whom he sought to rescue and return to their families.

Ofer Cassif and the Expulsion Resolution

As a result of his stance, Cassif has become the target of Israeli criticism. Avigdor Lieberman’s Israel Beitenu party initiated the process to expel him from the Arab-Jewish Communist Front of the parliament according to the Knesset’s Basic Law, allowing lawmakers to remove a colleague expressing support for “armed struggle” by a hostile state or terrorist organization against Israel.

Lieberman stated, “It is no longer possible to tolerate the words of betrayal uttered by Knesset member Cassif while our soldiers and citizens cry out from the ground.”

Lieberman gathered the signatures of 70 parliament members in support of the expulsion resolution, which, if passed, will require approval by a committee in the Knesset and eventually 90 votes out of 120 in the plenary session.

He also collected the signatures of 85 Knesset members, including 21 from the opposition parties, to initiate proceedings to remove him.

On January 29, 2024, an Israeli committee discussed the expulsion of the MP Cassif and heard legal pleadings regarding the proposal.

Cassif explained to the committee that signing the petition was consistent with the values he has upheld throughout his political life and stated, “I signed the petition to prevent human suffering against hundreds of thousands of people, believing that an immediate ceasefire alone would return the hostages to their homes and prevent further killing of Israelis and Palestinians.”

The expulsion procedures require approval from the parliamentary committee and then transfer to the Knesset for passage, where three-quarters of the members must support the resolution, after which Cassif has two days from the date of the verdict to appeal to the Supreme Court.

This comprehensive translation of the original Arabic article sheds light on the intense political and ethical landscape surrounding Ofer Cassif, providing insight into his bold stances and the repercussions he faces for his vocal opposition to Israeli policies and actions.