From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 30, 2025
MK Cassif ejected from Knesset committee for second time today
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. 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"
Hadash-Ta’al MK Ofer Cassif is removed from the Knesset House Committee for the second time today after verbally sparring with bereaved father Itzik Bonzel, who lost his son Amit during the fighting in Gaza.
Casif had been removed earlier in the hearing following a prior confrontation with Bonzel.
As Cassif is dragged out of the room, far-right activist Baruch Marzel — a founder of the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, who was disqualified from running for the Knesset in 2015 — calls out that Arabs should be expelled from Israel and is told to be quiet by committee chairman Ofir Katz.
Cassif is the sole Jewish lawmaker representing the otherwise Arab Hadash-Ta’al party.
United Arab List (Ra’am) MK Waleed Taha is also removed from the committee for interrupting the proceedings during a hearing on the possible impeachment of Hadash-Ta’al chairman Ayman Odeh.
Before he is removed, Taha quips that Likud MK Tally Gotliv enjoys “such privilege,” as she has not been ejected despite repeatedly interrupting other MKs and being told on multiple occasions to be silent.
The Times of Israel Community.