MK Oded Forer, Chairman of the Israel Beitenu Knesset faction, on Monday morning, began to collect 70 signatures of lawmakers from all factions in the house to remove MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash-Ta’al) from the Knesset.
MK Cassif, 60, signed a petition against Israel, supporting the complaint filed by South Africa that accuses the Jewish State of committing “genocide” in Gaza. He also posted on social media that the Israeli government is committing “crimes” in the name of the people.
The Basic Law: The Knesset states that the legislator may, by a majority of 90 MKs, terminate the membership of an MK if it has been determined that he or she supported an armed struggle of an enemy state or terrorist organization against the State of Israel.
The law states that after collecting the signatures of 70 MKs, the decision on the removal of the MK in question will be submitted to the Knesset Committee for declaring an impeachment procedure, at the end of which the removal of said MK would require 90 votes.
MK Forer said, “MK Cassif’s treasonous words can no longer be heard while the blood of our soldiers and citizens is screaming from the ground. MK Cassif, who was previously disqualified from running for the Knesset following a petition I submitted to the election committee, chose during the war to join one of the most destructive initiatives for the security of the State of Israel, thus supporting the fight of Hamas against Israel.
He must soon find himself beyond the borders of the Knesset and preferably beyond the borders of the State of Israel.”
On 8 October 2023, Cassif, who defines himself as being anti-Zionist, told Al Jazeera that his party had repeatedly warned that continued Israeli occupation of the “Palestinian territories” would lead to events like October 7, 2023. He called the Israeli government “fascist” and accused it of carrying out pogroms and ethnic cleansing against the “Palestinian” population. He was later suspended for 45 days for these comments and others by the Knesset Ethics Committee, a decision Cassif called, “another nail in the coffin of freedom of political expression.”
