Two Israeli parliamentarians, Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif, were expelled from the Knesset on Monday, October 13, after they held up a sign reading “genocide” during US President Donald Trump’s speech. The protest occurred as Trump addressed Israeli lawmakers during his visit amid escalating international scrutiny of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Both Odeh and Cassif belong to the opposition bloc that has fiercely opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza. The criticism stems from Israel’s large-scale military actions following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that killed around 1,200 Israelis and resulted in a retaliatory campaign leaving more than 65,000 Palestinians dead, according to reports.
Ayman Odeh, aged 50, who identifies as an atheist though born into a Muslim family, has led the left-wing Arab-Jewish political alliance Hadash since 2006. The coalition includes the Communist Party of Israel (Maki) and other progressive factions advocating equality between Arabs and Jews.
His colleague Ofer Cassif, a 60-year-old Jewish politician, has represented Hadash in the Israeli parliament since April 2019. Known for his outspoken socialist stance, Cassif has consistently criticised Israel’s occupation policies and called for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.
The brief yet bold protest by the two members underscored deep divisions within the Knesset over the Gaza conflict and signalled growing dissent among left-wing lawmakers against Netanyahu’s wartime leadership.
-
-
-
-
