US National Public Radio (NPR) journalist Michel Martin talks on Friday, March 15, to Israeli lawmaker Ofer Cassif (Hadash) who was almost expelled from the Knesset after voicing support for the genocide case against Israel. Cassif participated in a protest held on Friday by the Peace Partnership coalition in front of US and French embassies in Tel Aviv, demanding “the recognition of the State of Palestine state now.”
According the coalition, “No people can be free and safe as long as they occupy another people. The denial of the Palestinians’ national rights has been the policy of Israeli governments over many years. The horrible results blew up in all of our faces on October 7th. The Palestinian issue, which the government tried to bury inconspicuously behind ‘separation fences’, has now returned to center stage.”
Mohammed Barakeh, the chairman of the High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens and MK Ofer Cassif during the demonstration held Friday in front of the US and French embassies in Tel-Aviv, March 15, 2024 (Photo: Zo Haderech)
“Everybody knows that the government tried to pursue a coup d’etat under the sugarcoated term of judicial reform, in order to turn Israel into a full-fledged dictatorship. So now they are doing the same but under the smokescreen of the war in Gaza. And my persecution and my colleagues’ persecution and attempts to silence us is not only of members of the Parliament. But the citizens at large, especially Arab citizens in Israel, have been persecuted intensely since 7th of October. People have been fired from their workplaces and suspended from their university studies solely for expressing grief and sympathy for the innocent civilians in Gaza,” Cassif said during the interview.
Do you honestly feel that there may be an attempt on your life as a consequence of your positions?
Absolutely. It’s very clear Israeli society, under the continuous incitement of Netanyahu and his bigots, Israeli society is not only polarized and enclaved, but even families of the hostages are under violent attack. The violence level in Israel, political violence and violence in general, but the violence – the political violence in Israel is on the rise.
You said on the floor in defense of yourself arguing against impeachment and you’ve said repeatedly you do not support armed struggle. You do not support terrorism, and you certainly do not support Hamas, and you certainly do not support the massacre of October 7. But I do want to ask, do you think that the Netanyahu government is committing genocide right now?
I think that this should be investigated. There are many crimes that are going on there. Eighty-five or 90% of Gaza is in ruins. No water, no hospitals, starvation, hypothermia, I guess, as well. Those are crimes. If they amount to genocide or not, this is to ICJ to investigate.
So, what do you think should happen now?
There’s no military solution. The fanatic Palestinians and the fanatic Israelis must understand there is no military solution to this situation, only a political one. And it was like that 75 years ago, 57 years ago when the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem began, and now. So, no military option at all. The main factor that allows or enable this terrible carnage and bloodshed to continue is the administration of United States.
What role would you like to see the United States play, given everything that has happened so far, given where we are now?
When the United States continuously – and it doesn’t matter which administration is in power, Democrats or Republicans. It’s been going on like this for too many years that there is a blind support not for the people of Israel – I want to emphasize that – for the government of Israel. Those are not the same. If the United States wants really to assist and to stand with the people of Israel, like I do, they should do everything possible against the government of Israel. This specific government who supports Jewish supremacy and racial theory, literally and explicitly, once they support them, it is as if they supported David Duke. If the Biden administration and the people of America really want to help both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people, they must force the government of Israel to end it.
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