MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash) urged on Sunday, October 26, the international community not to wait for another genocide, warning that Israel is moving toward mass atrocities in the occupied West Bank. “I appeal to the international community. You waited too long before intervening to stop the genocide in Gaza. Don’t wait for a similar scenario in the West Bank because we are getting close to that,” Cassif told Anadolu news agency.
MK Ofer Cassif during a demonstration outside military Prison 10 calling for the release of all political prisoners, including the five refuseniks. May 16, 2025 (Photo: Zo Haderekh)
According to UN figures, forty children have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in 2025, including a nine-year-old boy in Hebron governorate on 16 October and occupation forces have continued to carry out large-scale raids across the northern West Bank, especially affecting Jenin governorate where 65 Palestinians have been killed, or about a third of all fatalities in the West Bank in 2025. Also, the UN has documented 86 settler attacks related to the olive harvest season against Palestinian farmers and families across 50 villages and towns since early October, disrupting harvesting activities, injuring some 112 Palestinians, and vandalizing more than 3,000 trees and saplings.
Cassif said in recent days, Israel has seen “a horrifying level of violence in the occupied West Bank, especially against Palestinians and Israeli and foreign activists harvesting olives.” “Occupation forces expelled them from their lands to make way for terrorist settlers, not only to beat Palestinians and attack them but also, as activists reported, to steal their food, for example, and take over the land. This is part of the annexation plan. It’s not just a fascist mob acting against the government’s policies. It’s part of government policy itself, and that’s another reason for deep concern.”
Regarding the incident when he and fellow lawmaker Ayman Odeh were expelled from the Knesset during US President Donald Trump’s speech last week, Cassif said, “It wasn’t really a speech. As you know, it was just a collection of words that weren’t necessarily connected. It was a theatrical performance, a show of three self-obsessed egomaniacs, especially (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and Trump, and to some extent Speaker of the Knesset Amir Ohana as well.” He added, “It was a display of flattery, truly disgusting. I must say it had no real substance other than boasting about each other.” Cassif noted that he and Odeh were expelled because they raised a sign that read: “Recognize Palestine.”
“Everyone should understand, though many in Israel refuse to, that the only solution to the conflict, the only way to stop the bloodshed, destruction and suffering for both Palestinians and Israelis, is to recognize Palestine and to establish a real, independent, sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel. That was our message.”
“Let’s not forget that Trump himself was complicit in sacrificing Israeli hostages and in the massacre of Palestinians. He supported the Israeli government last March when it violated an agreement that was already on the table, one that could have saved thousands of lives among Palestinians, hostages and soldiers. We must remember that. Trump is part of the problem,” he continued.
Cassif said their message also concerned the future. “A Palestinian state and an end to the occupation, that’s the only path forward. Ayman Odeh and I held a sign that said, “Recognize Palestine.” That’s all. We didn’t shout, we didn’t speak, we didn’t say anything — just that sign. It was necessary, given the past and the future.”
Regarding the Knesset’s winter session that began on Monday and is expected to be the last of the current parliament, Cassif said, “There is no doubt that the government wants to achieve two main things in the coming months, whether elections take place as planned in October or earlier, like June or even before that. The government wants, first and foremost, to continue the coup, what they call ‘judicial reform.’ It’s neither reform nor judicial. It’s a coup, fascist in every sense of the word. It’s dictatorial, a coup aimed at eliminating the independence of the judiciary. That’s something I criticize strongly, but that’s not the point; they want to destroy it,” he added.
He said that another aspect “is the complete destruction of media independence, which I also criticize severely. Despite everything, it remains somewhat independent, but the government wants to destroy it.” “Third, the government wants to eliminate whatever civil rights are left. This government is waging war on every remaining element of democracy in Israel — whether it’s the judiciary, the attorney general, the media, civil society, or individual citizens. That’s what they’re doing. They want to complete a fascist coup,” Cassif added.
Asked about Israel’s political opposition, Cassif said, “There is only a nominal opposition, not a real one, because the vast majority of those who call themselves opposition members are aligned with the government and the coalition. They don’t offer a political alternative, only a personal one. Right now, the struggle in Israel between the so-called opposition and the coalition is over who will be the next Netanyahu.”
“We must never accept that, at the very least. We will continue our struggle as we always have. We were the pioneers of resistance inside the Knesset, and we will continue to fight against the genocide in Gaza and do the same regarding the West Bank and the fascist coup. Unfortunately, I have no expectations from the opposition, but we will do our work,” he added.
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=33035
