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Ofer Cassif

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Ofer Cassif
עֹופֶר כַּסִיף
Faction represented in the Knesset
2019Hadash
2019–2022Joint List
2022–Hadash
Personal details
Born (1964-12-25) 25 December 1964 (age 59)
Rishon LeZion, Israel

Dr. Ofer Cassif (Template:Lang-he, born 25 December 1964) is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset representing Hadash since April 2019.

Biography

Cassif was born in Rishon LeZion. He attended Shalmon Elementary School and the Reali Gymnasium.[1] Growing up in a Mapai-supporting household, he joined the Left Camp of Israel youth group at the age of 16. During his military service in the Israel Defense Forces, he served in the Nahal and the Nahal paratrooper brigade. Following his military service He studied philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he began his political career as a parliamentary aide to Meir Wilner and participated in anti-war activism,[2] and earned a PhD in political philosophy at the London School of Economics with a thesis titled On nationalism and democracy: A Marxist examination,[3] before doing a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University.[citation needed] Cassif is married with one son and lives in Rehovot.[citation needed]

Academic career

As of 2019 Cassif lectures in political science at Tel Aviv University and Sapir Academic College.[2]

Political career

Entering the political sphere, as a student he worked as a parliamentary assistant to Hadash MK Meir Vilner.[2] Prior to the April 2019 Knesset elections he was placed fifth on the joint Hadash–Ta'al list.[4] In March 2019, he was banned from contesting the elections by the Central Election Committee due to provocative statements he had made,[5][clarification needed] the first time an individual had been barred from a party list. The decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court.[6] He subsequently entered the Knesset as the alliance won six seats. He was re-elected in elections in September 2019, 2020 and 2021.[citation needed]

In April 2021 Cassif was filmed being assaulted by police officers at a protest against evictions and Israeli settlements in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem. Various otherwise opposing politicians spoke out about the incident including leader of the ta'al party, Ahmad Tibi and Right-wing Likud lawmaker Gideon Saar who described the attack as "a murderous blow to the parliament and to parliamentary immunity”[7][8] Cassif was investigated for striking the policeman first.[9]

Cassif proclaimed himself "an explicit anti-Zionist",[2] In an interview with Haaretz, Cassif said: "I object to the ideology and practice of Zionism... it's a racist ideology and practice which espouses Jewish supremacy."[10] Cassif identifies as a Marxist and a socialist.[2]

On the 8th of October 2023, Cassif told Al Jazeera that his party had repeatedly warned that continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories would lead to events like the October 2023 Gaza−Israel conflict, where innocent civilians on both sides pay the price. He called the Israeli government "fascist" and accused it of carrying out pogroms and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian population,[11] He was later ordered suspended for these comments and others by the ethics panel of the Knesset for 45 days., a decision Cassif characterised as “another nail in the coffin of freedom of political expression”.[12]

References

  1. ^ Itiel, Yoav (7 March 2019). ""גאה להיות קיצוני": לוחם הנח"ל שמתנגד לציונות ונפסל מריצה לכנסת - וואלה! בחירות 2022" ["Proud to be an extremist": the Nahal fighter who opposes Zionism and was disqualified from running for the Knesset]. וואלה! (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hecht, Ravit. "The Knesset Candidate Who Says Zionism Encourages anti-Semitism and Calls Netanyahu 'Arch-murderer'". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  3. ^ Cassif, Ofer (2006). On nationalism and democracy: A Marxist examination (PhD). London School of Economics and Political Science. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. ^ "רשימת מועמדים" [Hadash Ta'al [List] led by Ayman Odeh and Ahmed Tibi]. bechirot21.bechirot.gov.il. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  5. ^ Winer, Stuart. "Elections panel bars Arab slate, Jewish far-left candidate; court will now rule". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  6. ^ Burger, Yotam. "Israel's Top Court Bans Kahanist Leader From Election Run, Okays Arab Slates, Far-left Candidate". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Outcry as police beat Joint List lawmaker during East Jerusalem protest The Times of Israel". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Video shows police beating Israeli politician in Jerusalem". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Ofer Cassif summoned for investigation after violent incident with cop". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2 August 2022. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Ofer Cassif, A Very Important Person". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  11. ^ Freedman, Eliyahu (7 October 2023). "Israeli lawmaker blames pogroms against Palestinians for 'terrible' attacks". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Israel police boss threatens to send anti-war protesters to Gaza 'on buses'". Al jazeera. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
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