Israeli MK Ofer Cassif Convicted of Assaulting Police Officer

A Jerusalem Magistrate's Court convicted Member of Knesset Ofer Cassif on Thursday of assaulting a police officer under aggravated circumstances. The incident, detailed in the indictment, occurred in May 2022 in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron. Cassif had arrived to participate in a protest against a Supreme Court ruling ordering the evacuation of local villages. Security forces had declared the area a closed military zone and restricted bus access. Despite his parliamentary immunity granting him freedom of movement, Cassif was asked by a Border Police officer to enter the protest area on foot, not by vehicle. According to the indictment, Cassif insisted on driving through, and during an argument, he drove his car slowly. A video shows Cassif's car nudging the legs of an officer blocking his path, with the officer hitting the hood and shouting. Cassif then exited his vehicle and confronted the officer, claiming the officer had struck him. The officer gestured towards Cassif's face, and Cassif then hit him on the head. Following the incident, police sought approval from the Attorney General to investigate Cassif for assaulting an officer. Cassif defended himself, stating a police officer threatened to shoot him and that he merely deflected a hand pushed into his face. He also claimed officers violated his immunity and freedom of movement. In March 2023, the Attorney General informed Cassif's lawyers of her decision to indict him, pending a hearing. Cassif at the time criticized police violence against protesters and alleged that police had violated his parliamentary immunity and threatened him with a weapon. He also claimed the police-released video was "partial, distorted, and twisted," and that political pressure from the new government had "completely contaminated the process." An indictment was filed against him in January 2024.