From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Knesset committee votes 14-2 to expel far-left MK for backing ICJ case against Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The Knesset House Committee votes 14-2 to expel Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif, referring the far-left lawmaker’s impeachment to the Knesset plenum, where the motion will require the support of 90 lawmakers to pass.
“This is a black day for the Knesset,” Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ahmad Tibi declares following the vote.
The committee’s decision comes after Deputy Attorney General Avital Sompolinsky told lawmakers that attempts to expel Cassif from the Knesset lack a legal basis.
Cassif, the only Jewish member of Knesset from the Arab-majority Hadash-Ta’al party, signed a petition of support earlier this month for South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice and has publicly accused Israeli leaders of advocating for crimes against humanity against the Palestinians.
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.
The Times of Israel Community.