Israeli Lawmaker Seeks to Bar Ofer Cassif From Running for *Knesset*: “Terror Supporters Have No Place in Israel’s Parliament”

MK Avichai Boaron has appealed to Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, chair of the Central Elections Committee, asking that MK Ofer Cassif be disqualified from running in the elections for the 26th *Knesset*, Channel 14 reported Sunday evening. In his appeal, Boaron said that a series of statements and actions attributed to Cassif over the years amount to an evidentiary basis that, in his view, justifies preventing him from running under Section 7A of Basic Law: The *Knesset*.

According to Boaron, the request is not based on a single remark or an isolated political dispute, but on a long-running pattern of statements and actions that he argues meet the legal grounds for disqualification. Among other things, he points to statements attributed to Cassif regarding attacks against Israelis, legitimizing the struggle against IDF soldiers, support for legal proceedings against Israel at the court in The Hague, calls to boycott Israel, and confrontations with security forces.

“Ofer Cassif has crossed the red lines time and again,” Boaron said. He added: “For years, he has spoken out against the State of Israel, given legitimacy to harming IDF soldiers, and acted against Israel in the international arena. Even after October 7, in the midst of war, he continued on the same path.”

In his appeal, Boaron also mentioned the previous effort to prevent Cassif from running for the *Knesset*. Ahead of the 2019 elections, the Central Elections Committee disqualified his candidacy, but the Supreme Court overturned the decision and allowed him to run. Boaron argues that the reality has changed significantly since that ruling, particularly because of the events of October 7 and the war that followed, as well as additional statements and actions by Cassif.

בוארון (צילום: יהונתן סינדל, פלאש90)

According to Boaron, the 2019 ruling also found that some of Cassif’s statements regarding harm to IDF soldiers were harsh and could be interpreted as legitimizing harm against them: “All the more so today, when the evidentiary basis is far broader and entirely different,” he argued.

Boaron also referred to the campaign he previously led to remove MK Ayman Odeh from the *Knesset*. He said the decision to remove Odeh was approved by a large majority in the *Knesset* Committee, but did not pass in the full *Knesset* after members of Yesh Atid, led by Yair Lapid, did not support the move.

In closing, he made clear that he intends to continue advancing the current effort against Cassif as well: “The *Knesset* is not a sanctuary city for those who act against the State of Israel. It is time to say clearly: Terror supporters have no place in Israel’s *Knesset*. Just as I worked during this term to remove terror supporter Ayman Odeh from the *Knesset*, this time too I intend to fight with all my strength to remove Cassif from Israel’s *Knesset*.”