Jewish MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash) criticized the launch of Israel's Operation Roaring Lion against Iran on Twitter/X on Saturday morning.
He emphasized that the conflict is not a preemptive strike, but rather one driven by foreign powers, with no direct connection to the interests or security of the Iranian or Israeli people.
In the statement, Cassif warned that the war would lead to significant bloodshed, with the greatest impact expected to be felt by the people of the region, particularly in Israel and Iran. He also noted that the effects of the conflict would extend beyond the immediate region.
Cassif expressed concerns about the potential for the war to be used as a justification for increased oppression against Palestinians, as well as the expansion of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
Cassif concluded by calling for an end to the conflict, stating, "No to war."
Strikes on Iran spark protests across US cities
Additionally, in America, protests erupted on Saturday in Washington, DC and several other US cities in response to Operation Epic Fury. Demonstrators gathered near the White House, with some holding signs reading “No bombs on Iran” and “No New US War in the Middle East,” The Washington Post reported.
In DC, demonstrators marched through downtown, chanting slogans such as “Stop the war, stop the bombs.” Meanwhile, the report noted that a group near the World War I Memorial waved American and Israeli flags, chanting “Thank you, Trump,” in support of the strikes.
The protests spread to other cities, including New York, where several hundred marched through Midtown Manhattan. In DC, police monitored the event, which included families and musicians from the DC Activist Street Band.
As the march reached the State Department, news emerged of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death. Demonstrators expressed opposition, with some calling the strikes “unjustified.”
Hayedeh Seddiqi, 33, spoke to the Washington Post as she waved an Iranian flag. “It’s an unjustified war,” she said. “Iran wasn’t asking for this.”