A Tel Aviv district court Thursday found former Israeli president Moshe Katsav guilty of multiple charges of various forms of immoral behavior and harassment.
Three different people had pressed charges against Katsav– two in the president’s office and one in the tourism ministry.
In total, the three-judge panel found Katsav guilty of the charges.
Katsav left the court without saying a word, but his son defended him.
“We will continue to be proud of our father … the whole nation will know that my father is innocent,” said son Ariel Katsav. “This is a difficult verdict. It is difficult for the family.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it’s a “sad day” for Israel.
Katsav had agreed in 2007 to plead guilty to lesser charges and pay a fine to avoid jail time, but pulled out of the deal when it came time to enter his plea.
The plea bargain caused a public storm in Israel, mainly because it did not include charges of “abduction”, contrary to what had been suggested in a draft indictment.
Katsav, of the center-right Likud Party, was president of Israel from 2000 to 2007. He was minister of tourism before that. The charges stem from allegations made against him in both jobs.
He resigned the presidency in June 2007 because of the allegations.
(YWN Israel Desk)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
10 Responses
If he is innocent, why did he resign from the presidency?
Now you know why the Gedolim opposed Sherut Leumi–National Service–for women.
He would have been pressured if he didn’t on his own.
For another side to this story, please see:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/141444
This is lashon hara
Apparently the Israelis are censoring many of the details, but it appears he was arguing “consent” rather than that he engaged in no sort of improper conduct (and he had offered to plead guilty to harassment).
Given the severely flawed Israeli judicial system (in which most judges are from left wing parties, with no pretence of a neutral jury of one’s peers), one might question if he engaged in forcible rape (given his age, and the age of the “victim” that seems a bit unlikely – her explanation of why she didn’t just smack him has never been made public). Given the antagonism of the Israeli elites (from whom the judiciary is drawn) to a right-wing sefardi, it would be highly unlikely if he would get a fair trial (which in itself, doesn’t prove innocence – just as conviction in an infamous “people’s court” does prove you were innocent of the crime.
He’s probably guilty of all sorts of things a frum Jew should never do, but such behavior is normative in a secular environment. Let’s be honest, sexual harassment is a major part of hiloni culture. If we ever dame to power in Eretz Yisrael, we’ld probably prosecute everyone who engaged in such behavior – and they’ld freak out.
Deepthinker, this is no proof. This is type of misconduct is very atypical for a Yid, even a secular one. Ein me’vi’im ra’ya me'”crazy” ma’ase.
There is no justice or integrity in the courts of Israel.
It is complete motsei shem ra what has been done to Katsav. Absolute injustice, thanks to typical Israeli politics.
A frum jew has every reason to believe it is all lies. I dont believe an iota of any of this, because it is coming from Israeli media and courts.
If you havent seen them in action, then you have no idea how wicked they are.
President Katsav is innocent! Please see:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/141489
It goes from bad to worse. Not satisfied with its farcical show trial, the leftist Israeli judicial mafia has now asked the police to “investigate” the Katsav associates who released the tape of Aleph blackmailing Katsav.
The left wants and will probably get a trumped-up prosecution of those associates for “intimidating a witness.”
Israel has become a police state.