Hadash MK Cassif convicted of assaulting a police officer during a protest

According to Zo Khadarek, the incident attributed to Cassif in the indictment occurred in May 2022 in Masafar Yatta in the southern Hebron Hills. Cassif arrived at the scene to participate in a demonstration held in protest of the Supreme Court's ruling, which ordered the evacuation of villages in the area and the expulsion of their Palestinian residents. The occupation army declared the area a closed military area and restricted the passage of buses of Hadash activists there. MK Cassif, who by virtue of his immunity enjoys freedom of movement, was blocked by a Border Police officer who forbade him from entering the area where the protesters were in his vehicle, but only on foot. "I did not assault a police officer, that is a blatant lie. The police officer pushed my hand in front of me and I moved it away," MK Cassif said at the time.

Judge Elazar Bialin said that Cassif's immunity as a Knesset member was fully exercised by allowing him to move freely on foot around the demonstration area, but "it does not give him the right to endanger people or to obstruct police officers by driving a vehicle." According to the judge, it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that Cassif hit the police officer with knowledge and intent to obstruct him. "His violent reaction is not covered by the self-defense exception, as it is a disproportionate response," he added.

In March 2023, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara informed Cassif's lawyers of her decision to indict him, to which Cassif responded that "we have all seen today the harsh hand of police violence and the government's lies against democratic protesters. The incident in which the police violated my parliamentary immunity and threatened to use weapons against me is also such a case." He further claimed that the political pressure exerted by the right-wing government on the attorney general "completely tainted the proceedings." In January 2024, an indictment was filed against him.

In response to the ruling, Cassif said: "Attempts to remove from the public arena voices that are struggling with the government and holding up a mirror to its crimes do not demonstrate the rule of law, but rather fear of an inconvenient truth. Shutting up the courtroom will not eliminate the struggle or silence our voices - it only makes clear how biased the system is and is geared to settling political scores, led by Kahanists, most of whom are serial criminals. These are the ones who continue to inflict terror and terror on the Palestinians in Masafer Yatta and the entire occupied West Bank, at the height of the harvest season." "We will continue to fight and bring light to our bleeding society and people. Enough with the occupation, enough with the bloodshed, yes to peace," he emphasized in a conversation with journalists who came to the court.

The Joint List also responded to the conviction of its candidate Cassif, stating: "While Ben Gvir supports police officers who are persecuting those who are fighting alongside the residents of Masafar Yatta following the court's decision in the political persecution trial against MK Ofer Cassif, we support him and protest the preference for the testimonies of the police officers who were involved in the incident over the testimonies of human rights activists."

According to the joint statement, "MK Cassif was persecuted after participating in a protest that was illegally dispersed in Masafer Yatta, and due to his consistent struggle, Nablus to Nablus, with the Palestinian residents living under occupation. The absurdity screams to the sky: while the legal system is conducting proceedings against a Knesset member who is struggling alongside Palestinian residents, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir continues to provide support to the police officers involved in such events. This, while the law enforcement system allows settler violence to run rampant, harm, destroy and kill Palestinians without justice and without mercy." "We are confident that the decision of a single judge in the Magistrate's Court will be overturned on appeal before an expanded judicial panel. We also express solidarity with the residents of Masafer Yatta, who have been suffering severe attacks from settlers in recent days, under the auspices of the army and the government. We will continue to stand by them, fight for their rights and make their voices heard," the joint statement stressed.

(Photo: Zo Khadarek)