Hearing begins on booting MK who backed Hague genocide case

The Knesset House Committee has begun an unprecedented hearing on whether to allow the plenum to vote on expelling MK Ofer Cassif for his support of a case accusing Israel of genocide at the Hague.

Kicking off the hearing, committee head Ofir Katz says “it would be my great privilege to boot the most despicable person the Knesset has ever known,” claiming that Cassif has “continued to make harsh comments during the war.”

Cassif, the only Jewish member of the Arab-majority Hadash-Ta’al party, is in the dock for comments made in support of South Africa’s claim that Israel is carrying out a genocide in Gaza.

In response to Cassif’s “treasonous” actions, Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer set out to invoke a previously unused legal mechanism contained in the 2016 Suspension Law, under which legislators may expel colleagues from their ranks if they are found to have committed one of a number of infractions, including expressing support “for an armed struggle” against Israel or inciting racism.

Knesset legal adviser Sagit Afik tells the gathered lawmakers that the hearing is “quite unprecedented,” noting that its use against Balad MK Basel Ghattas, the only other time it was used, came after he had already been charged by police.

She calls on the lawmakers to put politics and emotions aside and consider the case on its legal merits, as it is essentially an extrajudicial process.

“You must differentiate between disgust, revulsion and your rejection of the MK’s actions and statements and compliance with the conditions established by the Basic Law legislation,” she says.

If 75 percent of the committee agrees, the plenum will be able to vote on expelling Cassif.

Most Popular