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 during a demonstration in the southern Hebron Hills in May 2022. The indictment stated that Cassif attempted to drive his vehicle into the protest area, but police blocked him due to safety concerns and the route leading to Area A. After an argument, Cassif drove backward a short distance and then forward, hitting a police officer's leg. He then exited his vehicle and struck the officer on the head with his hand. The Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office argued that both actions were intentional and aimed at obstructing the officer. Cassif's claims that the vehicle collision was accidental and the subsequent strike was self-defense were deemed inconsistent with visual evidence and witness testimonies by the prosecution. The prosecution further asserted that Cassif's actions did not fall under self-defense or his parliamentary immunity.

Cassif responded to the verdict, stating his conviction was not surprising and is part of a continuous political persecution against those who oppose the occupation and advocate for democracy, justice, and peace. He characterized the attempts to silence dissenting voices through legal means as a sign of fear of uncomfortable truths and a biased system manipulated for political revenge, particularly by figures he described as "Kahaneists" who he claims terrorize Palestinians in Masafer Yatta and the West Bank.

In response, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Chairman of Otzma Yehudit, commented that Cassif, who he believes should have been expelled from the Knesset, was convicted of assaulting a police officer four years after the incident. Ben-Gvir criticized the justice system for taking so long to reach a conviction, suggesting it protects members of the Joint List. He emphasized that assaulting a police officer will be met with a determined response.

In January 2024, following a request from then-Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara filed an indictment against Cassif, who had denied the assault, attributing it to a "trick of the camera angle." Oded Forer, Chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu faction, called Cassif's conviction a criminal offense, not just a political dispute. Forer, who had previously sought to disqualify Cassif's candidacy due to his conduct and support for the enemy, urged the court to deem Cassif's actions as morally reprehensible to end his Knesset tenure.