Useful Idiots
Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
Israeli Lawmaker's Dire Warning – with Ofer Cassif
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Israeli Lawmaker's Dire Warning – with Ofer Cassif

Ofer Cassif was suspended from Israeli parliament for speaking out against the "fascist attack" on Gaza
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“I am not anti-Israeli,” explains Israeli Knesset member Ofer Cassif, who was suspended from the legislature for 45 days after criticizing Israel’s “fascist assault” on Gaza. “The government is anti-Israeli. The government undermines the security and the well-being of the state and its citizens.”

Cassif, who is Jewish and served in Israel’s military, goes on: “Because I stand with Israel, I stand against the government of Israel. Because I stand with Israel, I stand with the Palestinians.”

Rational, empathetic voices like Ofer’s have become not only controversial in today’s political culture, but illegal.

“There is now persecution of every and any voice which is in opposition to the war, to the assault on Gaza, or even expresses any sympathy for the children of Gaza. People who try to demonstrate are violently beaten by police.”

And after the interview concluded, Ofer called us back to share an ominous breaking update: “Netanyahu and his thugs use the smokescreen of the war to impose a martial law on Israeli citizens, predominantly Palestinian ones: PROTESTS ARE PROHIBITED AND CAN NOW BE ANSWERED WITH LIVE AMMUNITION, workers and students are suspended and dissidents are persecuted for posts on the social network.

“I plea to the world - supporting the Israeli government is not supporting Israeli people - it is supporting fascism, death and dictatorship. If you wish to help Israeli people in this dire time - support the peace movement, not the warmongers who waged a war against their own people!”

Subscribe for the full interview with Ofer Cassif where he responds to Bernie Sanders’ refusal to call for a ceasefire, the only way to find a solution to this war, and his dire warning if we continue on this path:

“We are on the verge of an international or even world war, and everyone is going to pay the price.”

And after listening to the extended interview, we challenge you to find any US politician with half as much journalistic knowledge or bravery to criticize their own government as Ofer Cassif.

Plus, catch this week’s Thursday Throwdown: Fox News Guy is SO Over Palestine

And join the Absurd Arena live discussion board with Katie and Wilson every Tuesday at 12pm est in the Substack app.

Watch the full interview here:

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Useful Idiots
Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
Useful Idiots is an informative and irreverent politics podcast with journalist Aaron Maté and podcaster/writer Katie Halper. Episodes feature on-the-road coverage of the 2020 campaign and exclusive interviews, with humor, commentary and dissection of the politics news of the week. Join Katie and Aaron as they examine important stories that have slipped through the cracks and what the media got wrong – and laugh about whatever is left to laugh about.