Ofer Cassif: Banned from parliament, firebrand Israeli MP calls opposition 'cowards'

Lifelong leftist and peace advocate has been called a 'terrorist supporter' but is unabashed in opposing Gaza war

Israeli opposition MP Ofer Cassif spoke to The National about his struggles as a left-wing politician in Israel. EPA

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Despite a six-month ban from Israel’s Parliament, an attempt to impeach him and accusations of supporting terrorism, firebrand left-wing Israeli politician Ofer Cassif insists Israeli politics have entered an era in which “racism has taken control more than ever”.

The refusenik and political philosopher, 59, who although an Israeli Jew sits in the mostly Arab Hadash-Ta’al party, told The National that despite huge pressure he is determined “to pursue the struggle against the [Gaza] genocide, against fascism, against the occupation, against persecution and for the families of [Israeli] hostages”.

Among Israel’s cowed opposition, Mr Cassif and his party stick out for loudly and consistently opposing the Gaza war. As part of the country’s peace movement, he keeps making the case that however distant it might seem and however few and ageing its proponents may be, a peaceful and just settlement to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is inevitable. What is variable is how painful the path towards it will be.

“I'm pretty sure that in the end, our way, our beliefs, will win, will prevail, because there's no other choice. The question is when it's going to happen and how much blood is going to be spilt before that."

There is a sense of urgency throughout Mr Cassif's interview with The National. “[The government] doesn’t care about the lives of Palestinians. They are responsible for a genocide of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians,” he said.

"They also don't care about the lives of the hostages, the Israeli hostages, who've been sacrificed by this government only for its own survival,” he added. “Even Israeli soldiers are used as cannon fodder by this government. They see their blood as the red carpet of the Messiah.”

The former political science professor was the first Israeli to refuse to serve in the occupied territories during the First Intifada, which began in 1987. In 2019, he was barred from running for the Knesset on allegations he supported terror against Israel.

He said the Trump administration in the US is shaping up to be a “bunch of crazy lunatic people”.

“The one who actually allowed and supported materially and diplomatically the ongoing massacre in Gaza was [President Joe] Biden. So I cannot lament his loss but I do lament that the administration who is going to succeed him is much worse.”

The current Israeli government, made up of “cynical psychopaths”, is helping to take the Middle East into a regional war, he added.

He was barely less critical of Israel’s “bunch of cowards” opposition, saying they “are afraid to challenge [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu because they fear being accused of leftism or supporting Arabs”.

“This is part of the hegemonic racist public discourse in Israel, which has always existed, but under Netanyahu gets stronger and deeper. If one day in the future they have to challenge this discourse it might be too late, too late for everyone, because once you try to ride the fascist tiger, it will eat you too.”

Mr Cassif’s frustration with the opposition is shared by many Israelis who oppose Mr Netanyahu. They are baffled and increasingly hopeless that they can kick him out of power before the next elections in 2026, even though he faces a growing number of political and corruption scandals, widespread accusations that he is scuppering a hostage deal and criticism of the strategy for the Gaza war.

Despite all this, polls show a steady increase in his popularity. A survey on Monday by Israeli network Channel 12 said his Likud party would be the largest in an election, although the current form of his far-right coalition would not secure an overall majority.

Mr Cassif drew on his own struggles as evidence that most of Israel’s opposition is “collaborating” with the far-right government. In a recent vote to impeach him, only “comrades in the Hadash party, members of another Arab party and one member of the Labour party voted against”.

“Those cowards knew it was unlawful but they didn’t dare to vote against it,” Mr Cassif said.

He feared his small band of combative opponents will face more attempts to silence them and exclude them from politics.

“Political persecution is very profound and wide in the Israeli society: professors at university, teachers at schools and common people are persecuted, arrested, silenced, fired from their jobs because they raise an alternative voice,” he said.

Despite these dangers, Mr Cassif said he will continue, even though his faction is nowhere near being able to rival Mr Netanyahu and the surging right wing.

“I consider my struggle, with my comrades, as a struggle for the future and the character of the State of Israel. It's not against Israel. It's in order to change radically the Israeli society into a real, just and democratic one,” he said.

“For those governments who are afraid to challenge Israel because they're afraid of being accused of being anti-Semitic or anti-Israel, it's nonsense. Rule it out. If you support today’s government of Israel, you are anti-Israel, because it is currently enemy number one of the Israelis.”