The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office has reportedly reached a plea deal with MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash) in connection with an incident in which he was documented assaulting a police officer in May 2022, according to a report by i24NEWS.
Under the reported deal, Cassif would admit to assaulting a police officer under aggravated circumstances. The prosecution would seek a sentence of seven months of community service, while the defense would be permitted to argue for a lesser penalty.
The report added that the indictment will undergo minor revisions, and the court will determine whether the offense carries moral turpitude.
However, the State Attorney’s Office denied the report, calling it “false.”
Cassif’s attorney, Daniel Haklai, declined to comment. According to i24NEWS, the alleged agreement is still pending final approval by the Attorney General.
Cassif, the sole Jewish MK in Hadash-Ta’al, has repeatedly drawn criticism for his anti-Israel statements, including comparisons of Israeli leaders and even the State of Israel to the Nazi party and Nazi-era Germany.
In March of 2023, the Knesset Ethics Committee decided to temporarily suspend Cassif from the plenary following a verbal confrontation in which he called MK Almog Cohen, among other things, a "stinking Nazi", "zero", "stupid" and "bloodthirsty".
Two months ago, the Knesset Ethics Committee suspended Cassif for an additional two months after 14 new complaints were filed against him over severe remarks, most made during a previous suspension period.
Among other things, he compared the Holocaust to events in Gaza, accused IDF soldiers of committing war crimes and genocide, referred to them as "occupation thugs," held protest signs with accusations against the IDF, and appealed to the International Criminal Court in The Hague demanding the prosecution of senior Israeli officials.