A stormy discussion in the Knesset committee on the demand to impeach MK Ofer Kasif/Knesset channel
The Knesset plenum will vote this (Monday) afternoon on the motion to impeach MK Ofer Kasif (Hadash), who signed a petition supporting South Africa's lawsuit against Israel at the Hague Tribunal.
This is the first time that the Knesset plenum will vote on the impeachment of one of its members, for the first time since the impeachment law was enacted in 2016 that established the procedure.
This, against the background of the objection of the legal counsel to the government and the Knesset, who believe that Casif's signature on the petition does not meet the standard required by law to carry out the impeachment procedure.
In order to approve the proposal, a majority of 90 members of the Knesset is required, however, it is still unclear whether Israel Beitenu, the initiative of the move, will succeed in gathering the required majority: in Kassif's impeachment, the supporters of Israel Beitenu, Likud, Otzma Yehudit, Religious Zionism and Shas, while The Arab factions and the Labor Party have already announced that they will vote against. In Beish Atid and the state camp are expected to grant their Knesset members the freedom to vote, and in recent days MK Ahmed Tibi has been working with Knesset members from all factions of the House, including Torah Judaism, in an attempt to mobilize opponents of the move.
Sources in the opposition estimate that Yisrael Beitenu will have difficulty recruiting 90 members of the Knesset to vote in favor of the impeachment.
If it is indeed approved, Kasif can appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge the impeachment.
Ofer Kasif, May 1, 2023/Reuven Castro
The move to impeach Kasif was initiated by MK Oded Forer (Israel Beytinu) last month, following Kasif's signing of the petition calling for an investigation into Israel's genocide in Gaza. In Israel Beytinu, 86 members of Knesset signed the original impeachment move, including 18 members of the opposition, and at the end of January The Knesset committee approved the proposal with a majority of 14/17 Knesset members, with the support of MKs Mish Atid and the state camp.
However, during the discussion in the Knesset committee, the unequivocal legal objection to the move arose, both from the legal advice to the government and from the legal advice to the Knesset, according to which Kasif's act - signing a petition - does not meet the standard required to establish grounds for his impeachment as a MK according to the impeachment law. The law states that he can be impeached. MK from the Knesset through a special procedure, based on one of two grounds: inciting racism or supporting an armed struggle against the State of Israel.
According to the impeachment proposal, by signing the South African petition, while raising the false claim that Israel is committing genocide, Kasif is actually supporting the armed struggle against the State of Israel - but the legal advice stated as stated that the act does not meet the required standard.
The impeachment law was enacted in 2016, originally to try to impeach former MK Hanin Zoevi, a move that never succeeded. A year later, the impeachment process for former MK Bassel Gattas, also from Balad, began, but it was stopped after Gattas resigned from the Knesset as part of a deal Argument in criminal proceedings.
This is the first time that the procedure stipulated in the impeachment law reaches the plenary stage and the impeachment of a Knesset member is subject to an actual vote.
Check suitability for treatment
Israeli development: a scientific solution to body acne with over 90% success
In collaboration with Rivka Zaida Laboratories
MK Ahmed Tibi/Yoav Itiel
MK Ahmed Tibi said before the vote on Kassif's impeachment that "Haredi MKs must not play into the hands of Lieberman's transparent political campaign that they hate. Today it is Ofer, tomorrow it is Eichler or Pindros or Arab MKs in general.
There is no legal basis for impeachment.
Their vote in favor of the impeachment would be a grave mistake."
More on the same topic:
Ofer Kasif