Ofer Cassif speaks to Novi Magazin about his struggle for peace and equality between Israelis and Palestinians.
You are a member of the left-wing Hadash party in coalition with an Arab party and are the only Jew in this coalition.
The Hadash party, or the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, was established in 1977 and stems from the Jewish communist party which was founded in 1919, i.e. before the creation of Israel, one of the oldest political parties on these territories. Hadash was founded in the spirit of national partnership between Palestinians and Jews as one of its core values, as an alternative to the politics of the ruling parties. I‘ve been a member for 35 years. In 2015, the far-right wanted to get rid of Hadash and minority parties through a law raising the threshold for obtaining a seat in parliament from 2 to 3.5 percent. That is why Hadash joined forces with another, Arab, party and formed the Joint List. We are now in coalision with Ta‘al, a left-wing Arab party led by Dr. Ahmad Tibi. At the 2022 elections, it so happened that among the first five on the coalition list, four were Arabs and one was a Jew, me. Five is our total number of seats, but of course there are many Jewish members in Hadash in general, as well as in its leadership and list of candidates to the Knesset. At the moment, there is also another, Arab party, in the Knesset. Approximately 20% of the Israeli population is Arab.
You are among the 1000 Israelis who have signed a petition supporting the case South Africa submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel for violating the 1948 Convention against genocide. Eighty six out of 120 members of the Knesset voted to evict you from parliament because of it, they lacked 4 votes to succeed. Tells us about the 34 Knesset members that did not vote for your eviction.
Allow me to explain. The Law on Impeachment is fairly new, it was enacted in 2016. There are two basis for impeachment: 1) racism -for which 90% of Knesset members could be impeached for at this time and be removed; 2) supporting armed conflict against the state of the Israel. The petition demanded a stop to the war and an investigation on whether the Government of Israel was committing genocide in Gaza. So, first, I signed it because I wanted the war to be stopped, hence save thousands of lives, of Palestinians and Israelis alike. Secondly, I believe the assault on Gaza should have never occurred, but, once initiated should have been investigated impartially, i.e., by the ICJ. Israel is not above international law, nobody is. Members of the Knesset chose to interpret my signature on the petition as equal to supporting terrorism against Israel. In other words, they manipulated the Israeli law on impeachment, the petition and my signature on it -they did so regardless of two Legal Advisors’ (of the Knesset and of the government) professional opinion that there was no legal basis for impeachment. The unlawful vote went ahead anyway. Even 1/3 of Yesh Atid, a seemingly liberal zionist party headed by Y. Lapid, and half of the members of the State Camp party of B. Gantz, voted for my impeachment, regardless of the fact that both parties are positioning themselves as alternatives to the right wing. Those who voted against it included the 5 members of my party, 5 from the Arab Ra‘am party and 1 from the Labor party. So some 24 parliamentarians walked out of the plenum to avoid the vote, among whom 3 members of Labor party. Parliamentarians are motivated by political calculations, personal interests and fear, not by the law, let alone democratic values. Though the next elections are not close, there is a presentiment that there will be attempts to prevent Hadash from running again. Those currently in power are aiming to turn Israel into a full fledged fascist dictatorship.
Do you disapprove of the way Israel is wagging the war in Gaza or are you against the war altogether? If the latter, what should have Israel done after the Hamas attack of October 7th, 2023?
Hadash opposed the war since the first day. We opposed revenge, morally and politically, we knew that in addition to its criminal character, an assault on Gaza cannot bring security to Israel, we warned that the hostages would be killed, sacrificed on the alter of the Government‘s survival. No less important, the crowding in Gaza would result in many Palestinian deaths. Had there been no occupation, there would have been no Oct. 7th. Let me first underline that we totally condemn the attack by Hamas on Israel which was a despicable crime against humanity and a clear war crime. Had I been in power, I would have immediately engaged in negotiations both to release the hostages and reach an agreement that would result in a Palestinian state and guarantee everyone‘s security. Freedom and justice. History around the world has shown us that majorities are dynamic. Before the Oslo Accords of 1993, Palestinians and Israelis were entrenched to continue their struggles, suddenly there was a sliver of hope, the majority on both sides supported the pursuit for peace. Peace can be achieved primarily by ending the occupation, I believe majorities on both sides would yet again support it.
Do you know for a fact that Hamas has been hidding in all the hospitals, schools, universities, mosques and churches that the Israeli army has destroyed as most are destroyed?
I believe Hamas has been hidding in such buildings. This has been, unfortunately, common practice in guerilla wars and during uprisings of oppressed peoples, and is not a particular Palestinian practice. It occurred during the Spanish civil war, the US civil war in the 19th century, in anti-colonial struggles in Africa, among the anti-fascists in the 2nd World War, and in the 1930 & 40s, Jews undergrounds in Palestine hid arms in, e.g. the largest synagogue in Tel Aviv and in kibbutzes during their guerila against British imperialism. Using human shields is prohibited by the Geneva conventions of 1948, i.e. the laws of war, which Israel has ratified. These conventions mandate two other principals: distinction and proportionality. Distinction between civilians and combatants; proportionality that prevents a military target from being attacked if civilian harm will be disproportionate to the military advantage gained. Israel is blatantly violating both these two stipulations.
You described it as a „tsunami“ of ultra zionist religious fanatics in the Knesset and the Government. A segment of the population is following their lead, e.g. Jewish settlers. Who are these people, what interest do they find in such political parties?
It’s the settlers indeed and many more who support and assist them. These people have no morality. These „judeo-nazis“, to use a term coined by philosopher Y. Leibowitz a few decades ago, have always existed. They believe in their racial supremacy which they combine with fundamentalist religious beliefs, they despise and mock non-Jews and Palestinians in particular. They have been viciously attacking them in the West Bank, setting fire to their homes and agricultural fields, preventing them to reach water sources, attacking sheperds physically, even killing them –all under the auspices of the occupying army, not officially, but in practice, they are a military arm of the Government, they are never charged or arrested. That goes for a mob that invaded two military bases in Israel in July, in support of soldiers who were suspected of sexual assault of a Palestinian detainee and in search of the military prosecutors who charged them. The army called the police, the police never came as instructed by the adviser of the Minister of National Security. To this day, they enjoy the same impunity. We may be on the verge of a civil war.
If you were in power, taking into consideration the emotional and physical toll of this war and the extremists on both sides, how would you go about building a two state solution -can you describe a few concrete steps?
Trust needs to be built. The first thing that needs to be done is to get the settlers out of the West Bank. This won‘t be easy as there exist ideological settlements that have sprung up to prevent the establishing of a Palestinian state. There are tools to make that happen, violence should not be one of them, I do not wish bloodshed, even on my enemies. Some settlers will leave peacefully if compensated. This would of course be in the interest of the Palestinians, but also for the security of Israel, the whole region and the world. Further, one of the consequences of the occupation are the very right wing economic and social policies. Namely, the vast majority of the budget is directed at the preservation of the settlements erected under the occupation of the West Bank. The Israeli public should realise that if the occupation ends, there will be more funds available for improving public services, healthcare, education, housing, public transportation. This is not only just, it will also prove that the occupation is against the interests of Israelis, especially of the exploited classes. The US and the EU could have a positive involvement in the process, but they have been doing exactly the opposite.
Can you tell us about Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish?
Yes, Izzeldin is a good friend. He is a physician from Gaza. In 2009, his three daughters and one of his nieces were killed when an Israeli tank fired into his home. This was broadcasted live. Even though officials provide some far-fetched „explanation“, the answer to the question why they targeted his house is „because they could“. He sought, not material compensation, but appealed to Israeli courts for recognition of the crime, for an apology, but he never got either. This is the abyss into which Israeli society has fallen. He left for Canada. In 2011 he wrote a book entitled „I shall not hate“. When I last spoke to him a couple of months ago, he informed that some 30 members of his extended family in Gaza had been killed. Regardless, he is still clinging on to peace, he continues to believe that peace is the solution and is ready to live with Israelis as brothers and sisters. I admire him.
Do you think you have quiet supporters who envy your courage in speaking out straightforwardly for justice and equality for all, or do Israelis think of you as an abberation?
I know for sure that there are many thousands of Israelis, Palestinians, Jews and others, who support us, me. More so, there are those who may not support my views on every issue, but they appreciate and value my commitment to the ideas and public I represent, they approach me to tell me so during demonstrations in which I participate against the government, the assault on Gaza and for the release of the hostages. Actually, there may be more than a milllion Israelis who are close to our ideas, but they are afraid of the sometimes violent political persecution that has been going on in at least the past two years, and more so since Oct. 7th.
In the current atmosphere in Israel that you have described, are you not afraid you may be a target of violence?
Yes, I am continuously afraid. There are threats. The most famous political assassination was the murder of Prime Minister Itzakh Rabin who pushed for peace. There is a serious risk, I know that, violence against me may be imminent. But I will never let fear control me nor dominate my beliefs, speech and actions. If I did so, it could influence others which would lead to the defeat of our camp, I will not allow that to happen. I am as stubborn as Izzeldin, I shall not surrender whatever the consequences. I shall continue fighting for the rights of Palestinians and a better Israel, these two are linked.