The Marseillaise: You have been banned from the Knesset for six months. What happened?
Ofer Cassif: Normally, in a dictatorship, there is a combination of two main elements: on the one hand, it can be about war crimes and on the other hand, it is about silencing the voices of those who speak out against these crimes. We have been politically persecuted for a while. The more numerous the atrocities, the more serious the silence. My colleagues and I raise our voices against the ongoing crimes in Gaza and against the genocide. Many people think that when we oppose genocide, we oppose Israel: this is a lie. We oppose these immoral crimes. Being an immoral society goes against Israel's interests. We are silenced, persecuted, because the government, and unfortunately many opposition parties, do not want us to tell the truth.
Israel describes itself as the only democracy in the Middle East but you are talking about dictatorship?
OC: In my opinion, Israel was never a democracy because it was founded on the main idea of Jewish supremacy. This is why it has always been an ethnocracy and not a democracy. But today, Israel is moving very strongly towards a fascist dictatorship. We can see this not only by looking at the crimes mentioned above, in Gaza, in the West Bank, even in Lebanon, but also through political persecution. It's not just about silencing us, now anyone who raises their voice against the government and opposes their views on the Palestinians is being persecuted. There is a list of more than 100 bills and laws that limit or even abolish various basic civil and human rights. Calling it a democracy is a joke, the government persecutes the opposition, limits the freedom of the press, the freedom of teachers. A new law that was recently passed allows the Ministry of Education to fire teachers it accuses of being linked to terrorism without notice. Israel is far from being a democracy. As I said, we are in the middle of a fascist regime that the international community is doing nothing to stop.
On X you denounced “ the escalation of the fascistization of Israeli society ».
OC: There are many people in Israeli society who are against fascism, against genocide, etc. In Parliament, we are almost the only ones to oppose the ongoing genocide, to call for peace and security, to free the Israeli hostages. Hundreds of thousands of people support our positions, but the hegemony of public discourse is with the government because of fascistization. People who are against it are afraid to take to the streets, to open their mouths because they could lose their jobs, be persecuted. They are terrified. And outside of Israel too.
Does Benjamin Netanyahu's government have the support of public opinion?
OC: I think the vast majority of Israelis are against Netanyahu, not because of the crimes he is responsible for but mainly because of the corruption cases. I am sure that the majority of Israeli citizens do not want Netanyahu to remain, but on the other hand, polls show that if there were elections, he could win. Mainly because those who are supposed to be the alternative, the opposition, like Benny Gantz, don't act like one. They do not really question the very essence of the government and, for this reason, they have lost public support and the chances of beating Netanyahu.
Is there a progressive alternative that can beat this government?
OC: Unfortunately, it doesn't seem very realistic at the moment unless the Arab population and Jewish Democrats start voting en masse. The transformation of Israel into a fascist country is relevant to this question. A bill that will be adopted should prohibit participation in elections. They know that if they ban us from participating in elections, it means that the fascists, the far right, will stay in power forever.
What do you think about the rise of anti-Semitism around the world?
OC: We, within Hadash and the Communist Party, will always fight against anti-Semitism and all forms of racism. I think anti-Semitism is increasing today in part because of the policies of the State of Israel. Many people around the world, to some extent, do not distinguish between Jews, Zionism and Israelis. They are totally different things.
Is there not a risk of equating criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism?
OC: Very often, the Israeli government and even part of the opposition manipulates criticism of the policies of the Israeli government and presents it as anti-Semitism. We must make the distinction. We must fight this government, confront it, even more than the others, particularly regarding the ongoing genocide. I have just learned that the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant [ex ministre de la Défense] and Mohammed Deif [chef du Hamas]. No one is above international laws. If anyone is suspected, they must be arrested. Whether he is Israeli, Palestinian, French or Argentinian, it does not matter. I can assure you that most members of Parliament, whether they are in the opposition or not, will cry anti-Semitism, which makes no sense.
You denounce the involvement of the American administration. Is this the key to ending this war?
OC: Absolutely. Look what happened yesterday [mercredi] at the UN Security Council. The United States under Biden vetoed a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza, so the genocide continues. The blood is also on the hands of the Biden administration, which is arming Israel and constantly filing vetoes. Which means they are participating in the genocide. My fight is for justice, there is no justice for the Palestinians at the expense of Israel, justice is universal. We must stop the genocide, stop the occupation. Governments around the world, including the French government, must understand that as long as they support the Israeli government, they are acting against the Israeli people.
Interview conducted by Laureen Piddiu
