Ofer Cassif

Ofer Cassif (Hebrew: עופר כסיף, born 25 December 1964) is an Israeli academic and politician. He is currently a member of the Knesset for the Joint List, and the Hadash party, for which he is sole Jewish MK.

Biography

Cassif was born in Rishon LeZion. He attended Shalmon Elementary School and the Reali Gymnasium. Growing up in a Mapai-supporting household, he joined the Left Camp of Israel youth group at the age of 16. During his national service in the Israel Defense Forces he served in the Nahal and the Nahal paratrooper brigade. He subsequently studied philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and earned a PhD in political philosophy at the London School of Economics before doing a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University. He became a lecturer in political science at Tel Aviv University and Sapir Academic College.

Entering the political sphere, he worked as a parliamentary assistant to Hadash MK Meir Vilner. Prior to the April 2019 Knesset elections he was placed fifth on the joint Hadash–Ta'al list. In March 2019 he was banned from contesting the elections by the Central Election Committee due to provocative statements he had made, the first time an individual had been barred from a party list. However, the decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court. He subsequently entered the Knesset as the alliance won six seats.

Cassif is married with one son and lives in Rehovot.

External links

• Ofer Cassif on the Knesset website