00:00 A controversial Israeli lawmaker, Ofer Qasif, ignited a political and social media uproar
00:09 by endorsing South Africa's genocide case against Israel, scheduled for hearing at the
00:14 International Court of Justice in The Hague.
00:16 Qasif, a firebrand figure, publicly affirmed his support for South Africa's legal pursuit
00:22 through a petition and announced his commitment to backing the case during the ICGA proceedings
00:27 later this week.
00:28 The move has stirred intense debate and scrutiny, adding fuel to an already contentious issue
00:33 in international relations.
00:35 "My constitutional duty is to Israeli society and all its residents," he wrote in Next on
00:40 January 7, "not to a government whose members and its coalition are calling for ethnic cleansing
00:45 and even actual genocide.
00:47 They are the ones who harm the country and the people.
00:50 They are the ones who led South Africa's appeal to the Hague, not me and my friends."
00:54 The Palestinian death toll from Israel's near-100-day bombardment of the Gaza Strip has crossed
00:59 23,000 people, including nearly 10,000 children.
01:04 So who is Ofer Qasif?
01:07 Ofer Qasif is a prominent member of the left-wing Arab-majority Hadash Tal Party, where Hadash
01:13 represents the Hebrew acronym for the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality.
01:18 Born in Rishon LeZion, near Tel Aviv, in 1964, Qasif has held a position in the Israeli parliament
01:24 for nearly five years.
01:25 With a doctorate in political philosophy from the London School of Economics, he initially
01:29 pursued an academic career at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before transitioning into politics.
01:35 Qasif's history reflects a consistent divergence from mainstream Israeli views.
01:40 In the late 1980s, he, as a pro-Palestinian advocate and proud communist, faced imprisonment
01:46 for refusing military service in the occupied territories.
01:50 His early stand against the status quo foreshadowed his later role as a politician, challenging
01:55 established norms in Israeli society.
01:57 In 2021, he claimed the police beat him while he participated in a protest against an illegal
02:03 Jewish settlement in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem.
02:06 His pre-parliamentarian attacks on the Israeli state, for instance, calling one-time Justice
02:10 Minister Ayelet Shaked neo-Nazi scum led the Central Elections Committee to keep him off
02:15 the ballot for the 2019 elections.
02:18 That decision was overturned by the Supreme Court, however, and he was elected that year
02:22 with Haddash Tal receiving just below 4.5% of the national vote and six seats in the
02:27 Naseem.
02:28 This compares with more than 26% of the votes and 35 seats for each of Benjamin Netanyahu's
02:33 Likud Party and Kahol Lawan, the opposition political alliance led by former Defence Minister
02:37 Benny Gantz, who is also a member of Netanyahu's War Cabinet.
02:41 Ofer Qasif's political positions have at times sparked controversy as evidenced by his decision
02:47 not to express support for Ukraine during its conflict with Russia.
02:50 When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Nasser Jawaiz rule in March
02:53 2022, shortly after the Russian invasion, Qasif chose not to attend, drawing criticism
02:59 from some supporters.
03:01 Despite this, Qasif maintains a steadfast commitment to a two-state solution for the
03:05 Israel-Palestine conflict.
03:07 In a transcribed conversation on the Communist Party of Israel's website in December 2023,
03:12 he emphasized the Palestinians' right to their own independent state.
03:15 Qasif's advocacy for a two-state solution aligns with his broader stance on the Israeli-Palestinian
03:19 issue and reflects his dedication to finding a peaceful resolution to the long-standing
03:24 conflict.
03:25 He is strongly opposed to Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories and has protested
03:29 against them.
03:30 Following his criticism of the Israeli campaign of aerial bombardment against Gaza in response
03:35 to the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, Qasif faced a 45-day suspension
03:40 from UNICEF.
03:41 His actions have been polarizing within the political landscape, reflecting the deep divisions
03:45 on issues related to Israel's policies and conflicts.
03:49 [Music]
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