JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

An Israeli Knesset member urged 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,” Ofer Cassif told Anadolu.

“And don’t wait for a civil war inside Israel because we are getting close to that, too. Engage now. Do everything possible to stop these two dangers -- they threaten both Palestinians and Israelis alike, and ultimately the entire region and the world. It’s not only a matter of justice; it’s in your own interest to stop this. You can do it. We can’t do it alone. We need you,” he added.

Incident during Trump’s Knesset address

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 is not the savior,” 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.”

 ‘The government wants to complete a fascist coup’

Regarding the Knesset’s winter session that began 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 completely 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,” Cssif added.

He said in recent days, Israel has seen “a horrifying level of violence in the occupied West Bank, especially against Palestinians and 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.”

Struggle is over who will be next Netanyahu

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 exactly 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.

Israel has turned into a fascist regime

Reflecting on the changes in Israel in recent years, Cassif said, “As you know, everything is 100% negative, if not worse. It’s destroying Israeli society -- at the expense of Israelis and, of course, Palestinians. It has turned Israel into a fascist regime.”

“So, in that sense, apart from the genocide, which is itself a crime, the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, and other atrocities, it’s clearly negative,” Cassif noted.

Occupation will end ‘in the coming years’

“If I may describe it as positive under such circumstances, I believe it has actually made it easier to establish a Palestinian state, end the occupation, and even democratize Israel to some extent. In the near term, everything is negative, but in the long term, I believe we will see positive outcomes. The occupation will end, in my opinion, within a few years. A truly independent Palestinian state will emerge -- that means liberation for both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. I believe this will happen in the coming years.”

“In that sense, there is hope. We must remain optimistic, but we must also struggle and fight. We need the international community on our side. There must be a combination of our internal struggle and international efforts. Once we achieve that, nothing can stop us,” Cassif continued.

Elections, Netanyahu’s prospects

Regarding the upcoming elections and Netanyahu’s chances, Cassif said, “There are two main issues here. First, the assumption that elections will even be held. Obviously, if it were up to Netanyahu and his fascist fanatics within the coalition, they would do everything possible to cancel or at least postpone them.”

“But if elections are held on time or earlier, the main danger right now is that the coalition and its extremist supporters outside parliament are already planning to turn the elections into a sham -- unfair and biased at best. They are trying to pass laws that would, for example, prevent us from running in the elections. That plan has already started,” he said.

“Moreover, the police no longer exist as an independent force. It has turned into a private militia in the hands of the government in general, and specifically in the hands of the fascist extremist and convicted terrorist Itamar Ben-Gvir. On top of that, there are private armed militias of fascists just waiting for an order - and once they get it, whether from (National Security Minister) Ben-Gvir, Netanyahu, or others in this gang, they will do everything they can to prevent Palestinian and leftist citizens from voting. So, I expect elections that will not be fair.”

He added, “If that happens, as I fear it will, it will make victory for the fascist right even easier. But even if we succeed in fighting these plans and preventing such bias, we must remember that 50% of the people under Israel’s control are still deprived of the right to vote, I mean the Palestinians in the occupied territories. But hypothetically speaking, if we ignore that, and if we manage to hold fair elections, then I believe the fascists have no real chance of winning.”

“But I fear we will see violence, either before the elections, on election day, or even afterward if they lose. Who knows? Maybe after the results are published, as we saw in the United States when Biden won. We saw what happened there. I fear we will see something very similar here, maybe even worse. I hope I’m wrong,” added Cassif.​​​​​​​