Israel’s Central Elections Committee has voted to bar Knesset member Ofer Cassif from standing in the upcoming parliamentary election, leaving his candidacy subject to Supreme Court review.
The decision followed a petition submitted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. The committee’s vote does not settle the matter: the Supreme Court must review the decision before the disqualification can take effect.
Cassif, a member of Hadash running with the Joint List, has been a prominent critic of the government’s policies toward Palestinians and its war in Gaza, which began in 2023. He argued that opposing government actions should not be treated as disloyalty or support for an enemy, and said the decision risks silencing political voices calling for an alternative to war and revenge.
The committee was also scheduled to consider other petitions seeking to disqualify political parties from the election. The vote comes amid a fragmented political landscape ahead of the parliamentary contest.
