Ofer Cassif

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Ofer Cassif
Faction represented in the Knesset
2019	Hadash
2019–	Joint List
Personal details
Born	(1964-12-25) 25 December 1964 (age 57) Rishon LeZion, Israel

Ofer Cassif (Hebrew: עֹופֶר כַּסִיף, born 25 December 1964)^[1] is an Israeli politician. A member of the Knesset since April 2019, he represents the Hadash party in the Joint List. Cassif is the sole Jewish member of the faction.

Biography[edit]

Cassif was born in Rishon LeZion. He attended Shalmon Elementary School and the Reali Gymnasium.^[1] Growing up in a Mapai-supporting household, he joined the Left Camp of Israel youth group at the age of 16.^[2] During his military service in the Israel Defense Forces he served in the Nahal and the Nahal paratrooper brigade.^[2] He subsequently studied philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and earned a PhD in political philosophy at the London School of Economics with a thesis titled On nationalism and democracy: A Marxist examination,^[3] before doing a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University. He became a lecturer in political science at Tel Aviv University and Sapir Academic College.^[2]

Entering the political sphere, he worked as a parliamentary assistant to Hadash MK Meir Vilner.^[2] Prior to the April 2019 Knesset elections he was placed fifth on the joint Hadash–Ta'al list.^[4] In March 2019, he was banned from contesting the elections by the Central Election Committee due to provocative statements he had made,^[5] the first time an individual had been barred from a party list. However, the decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court.^[6] He subsequently entered the Knesset as the alliance won six seats. He was re-elected in elections in September 2019, 2020 and 2021.

On 9 April 2021, Cassif was assaulted by police officers while taking part in a protest against evictions in East Jerusalem.^[7] In an interview with Haaretz, Cassif said: “I object to the ideology and practice of Zionism... it's a racist ideology and practice which espouses Jewish supremacy."^[8] Cassif identifies as a Marxist and a socialist.^[9]

Cassif is married with one son and lives in Rehovot.^[10]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Ofer Cassif on the Knesset website