MK Cassif Convicted of Assaulting Border Police Officer; Reactions Split

Member of Knesset Ofer Cassif was convicted of assaulting a Border Police officer under aggravating circumstances, sparking sharp reactions. Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the organization "B'Tselem" criticized Cassif and the justice system, while Cassif himself labeled the conviction "political persecution."

According to the morning report, the Magistrate's Court determined that during a demonstration in southern Hebron in May 2022, Cassif struck a Border Police officer with his vehicle and subsequently hit him forcefully on the head. Judge Elazar Bialin rejected Cassif's claims of self-defense, parliamentary immunity, and selective enforcement.

Ben-Gvir, chairman of Otzma Yehudit, directed his criticism primarily at the justice system and the lengthy time elapsed since the incident. "It took the justice system four years to bring this case to a conviction," he stated, adding, "This says everything about the justice system, which protects the Joint List and its members as much as it can." He suggested Cassif could continue running for the Knesset "under the protection of the High Court, instead of being sent to Syria." Ben-Gvir emphasized that anyone who lays a hand on a police officer will face a determined and uncompromising police force.

MK Cassif responded to his conviction, stating, "My conviction should not surprise anyone. It certainly did not surprise me. This, like the absurd disqualification attempt, is another step in the ongoing and overt political persecution of anyone who stands fearlessly against the occupation, its crimes, and its criminals, and in favor of democracy, justice, and true peace for the two peoples of this land." He further asserted that attempts to remove voices fighting the regime and exposing its crimes from public discourse demonstrate fear of an uncomfortable truth, not the rule of law. Cassif concluded, "Silencing through the courtroom will not eliminate the struggle or silence our voices, it only clarifies how biased the system is and how it is enlisted for political settling of scores, orchestrated by Kahanists, many of whom are serial offenders. These are the ones who continue to instill terror against Palestinians in Masafer Yatta and the entire occupied West Bank during the olive harvest season. We will continue to fight and bring light to our society and our bleeding peoples. Enough with the occupation, enough with bloodshed, yes to peace!"

The organization "B'Tselem" demanded Cassif's immediate removal from the upcoming Knesset elections, arguing he was convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude. "Cassif's place, as we have said for years, is in prison, not in the Knesset," the organization stated. "The High Court and the Attorney General have legitimized a violent criminal for the Knesset." The organization claimed the conviction came "after years of delays" and that Cassif "not only supports armed struggle against Israel but participates in it himself."