Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Tuesday approved a police interrogation of Joint Arab List MK Ofer Cassif.
Cassif was filmed last year assaulting a Border Police officer in the southern Hebron Hills. He is expected to be interrogated in the coming days.
Last May, Cassif was driving in his vehicle to the site of a demonstration when two police officers stopped the vehicle. One of the officers knocked on the engine cover with his hands, after which Cassif exited the vehicle and hit the officer on the head. At this point, a brawl broke out between the sides, following which Cassif yelled at the police officer that he has immunity due to his position as a Knesset member.
The officer had not known that Cassif was an MK when he stopped the vehicle.
Later, in an interview with Channel 13 News, Cassif spoke about the incident and said that he did not hit or attack the police officer, and was simply protecting himself. He added, however, that he apologizes if he hurt the police officer.
Cassif added at the time that if he is interrogated, he will give up his immunity.
"The only thing I did was to instinctively push back the hand that was coming towards me," Cassif said at the time. "It could be that I hurt his head while doing so, and for that I apologize, but it's not hitting or attacking. I will not use my immunity. If it is decided to interrogate me or to open a case and bring me to trial, I will not use my immunity, since I know that the truth is with me, and I will say my piece in the interrogation or in the court, if it gets that far."
MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, who chairs the Otzma Yehudit party, responded to Baharav-Miara's decision, saying, "Ofer Cassif should have been arrested and interrogated ages ago, and I hope that he will be brought to trial immediately. A Knesset member who violently attacks police officers should not be in the Knesset for even a single additional day, and I hope that this time the Supreme Court will disqualify the terror-supporting Cassif from running for the next Knesset."