Government, opposition fear our voice as alternative to racist rhetoric: Israeli lawmaker

Israeli lawmaker Ofer Cassif criticized the government and opposition Thursday after being barred from the upcoming Knesset elections, saying they fear his voice because it “constitutes a true alternative to the ruling racist, militaristic, and bloodthirsty discourse,” Anadolu reports.

Cassif, a Knesset member from the Joint List, made the remarks in a post on US social media platform X, commenting on the decision Wednesday by the Central Elections Committee to bar him from running in the election.

“The Kahanists [priesthoods] in both the government and the ‘opposition’ alike fear the power of our voice and its consistency,” he said. It is “the only voice that constitutes a true alternative to the ruling racist, militaristic, and bloodthirsty discourse.”

Cassif is known for his opposition to the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government toward the Palestinian people, particularly Israel’s war of extermination in the Gaza Strip since 2023.

“This is what characterizes us: a consistent and uncompromising voice for true equality, social justice, democracy, and peace,” said Cassif

The Central Elections Committee voted to bar the Joint List and the United Arab List, as well as Cassif and Sami Abu Shehadeh, who is running in the election scheduled for Oct. 27.

READ: Israeli election authority bars United Arab List party from Knesset race

The Central Elections Committee is primarily a political body made up of representatives of parliamentary blocs in the outgoing Knesset. Seats are distributed according to the size of those blocs’ representation, giving the governing coalition a majority on the committee. The committee currently has 34 members, according to Haaretz.

The committee barred Cassif from running with the Joint List following a petition by the Likud party, which accused him of “denying the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.”

The election is scheduled for Oct. 27, with 38 lists registered to compete, while opinion polls project that 13 lists will enter the Knesset.

Forming a government requires the confidence of at least 61 members of the 120-seat Knesset.

Opinion polls show that neither the opposition bloc nor Netanyahu’s camp is expected to secure the majority required to form a government, highlighting the importance of seats held by Arab parties.

Netanyahu has headed the government since late December 2022, which is described as the most right-wing in Israel’s history.

Netanyahu faces corruption charges that could result in imprisonment if convicted. He has also been wanted since 2024 to appear before the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

READ: Israeli army detains more than 150 Palestinians in West Bank raids