Israel police recommend president be charged with rape

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061015/wl_mideast_afp/israelpoliticskatsav_061015194025;_ylt=Apq0Guj5DQmA0EViuAPxDqqs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b3JuZGZhBHNlYwM3MjE-

Israel police recommend president be charged with rape

by Ron Bousso 39 minutes ago

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli police told the attorney general there was enough evidence to indict President Moshe Katsav on charges of rape, sexual harassment and wire-tapping, at the end of a weeks-long probe.


"There is sufficient evidence indicating that in several cases... the president carried out acts of rape, forced sexual acts, sexual acts without consent and sexual harassment," the police said in a statement.

"There is sufficient evidence indicating violation of the law banning wire-tapping by the president," police said following a meeting with investigators and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz in Jerusalem.

During recent weeks, police had investigated no fewer than 10 complaints of rape and sexual harassment by former Katsav employees during his presidency and before that as agriculture minister.

The 61-year-old Iranian-born president has been questioned by police five times over allegations that he forced women employees to have sex with him by abusing his position of authority.

Police sources now say that an indictment could be filed in three or four of these cases..........

[Demeter]

1. Wow! Now That's An October Surprise!

Another spanner in the works for Condi, Rummy, etc.

[katinmn]

2. Gee, Israel and US having top level sex scandals at the same time

Coincidence or are these all evil nacrcissistic men in charge?

[Scurrilous]

3. Senior legal source: Katsav must suspend himself

Recommendation to charge president with rape sparks row in political arena. Meretz MK plans to ask Knesset's House Committee to launch ousting procedure. Minister Tamir calls on Katsav to resign

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3315359,00.html

<snip>

"A senior legal source said Sunday evening that "President Moshe Katsav should suspend himself from office." The source was referring to the police's recommendation to charge Katsav with offenses of rape, indecent assault, fraud and wire-tapping.

On Sunday, the police investigators submitted the complete investigation file to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and State Prosecutor Eran Shendar.

According to the police, there is evidence that the president committed sex offenses against several women, and raped at least two of the complainants.

The recommendations sparked a row in the political arena, particularly in light of the fact that Katsav plans to attend the opening of the Knesset's winter session Monday.

Some Knesset members plan to protest. Several Labor, Likud and Kadima MKs plan not to act according to protocol and not to stand up when the president enters the plenum. Others will be absent."

[MadMaddie]

4. October is turning out to be a heck of a month....

[IndianaGreen]

5. Another example of why Israel is superior to America

when it comes to holding her political leaders accountable.

[girl gone mad]

8. I guess it depends on what they are being held accountable for.

Sexual harrassment? Yes.

The invasion of Lebanon? No.

Clinton was held accountable over the Lewinsky affair, and Nixon was held accountable over Watergate. I don't see how this event can be used to claim moral superiority on the part of either country.

[krkaufman]

10. CNN photo caption: "original allegations ... overshadowed by ..Lebanon"

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/15/israel.president.rape/index.html

CNN caption indicates these allegations were overshadowed by the invasion of Lebanon. Makes one wonder about the dog's tail.

[fujiyama]

11. The US public doesn't hold its political candidates

accountable for anything. If we did, Bush would have lost in '04 in a land slide and the midterms wouldn't show Dems with a chance of winning back congress because they would have taken it back in '04 already.

How else did the repuke candidate running for Duke Cunningganm's seat win again? The idiots in his district kept the same party candidate in power. Why hasn't Hastert who covered up a PEDOPHILE scandal kicked out immediately? Bob Ney is STILL in Congress for God's sake! And he's guilty of corruptuion charges. We have 95%+ incumbent electability.

And Clinton wasn't "held accountable". He was hounded mercylessly for a non issue. Nixon likely would have been impeached, but resigned because at that time republicans sort of cared about accountability. If that happened now, they'd spin the situation like crazy.

[geek tragedy]

19. Well, the US isn't holding Bush accountable for

his crimes. No impeachment proceedings last time I checked.

[LeftyMom]

9. You mean that a man with an apparently lengthy history of rape and

sexual harassment might face charges is really something to crow about? How many women made quiet complaints and got blackmailed or bribed before ten came forward? If the problem is that widespread, people must have known about it for years and kept it quiet. And how the hell does that make Israel superior? After all, an American president damn near lost his office over a consensual affair with a younger woman and American congressmen have repeatedly had to step down over allegations of sexual harassment. Just to jog your memory a bit, nn Ameican congressman lost his job over harassment allegations much less serious than this less than two weeks ago!

I simply can not believe that you're actually bragging about the greatness of the state of Israel based on the fact that 1. a man elected to high office is apparently serial rapist who 2. may possibly experience accountability.

[Dover]

6. Who is expected to replace him? ...n/t

[Scurrilous]

22. Kadima: Peres may not have majority needed for presidency

<snip>

"The debate over who will be the next president of the State of Israel is heating up, as President Moshe Katsav said Monday he is likely to resign. if he is indicted.

The question of who would replace Katsav arose around three months ago, when the Katsav affair was revealed. The brouhaha calmed down around two months ago, only to be rekindled as the possibility of indictment looms near.

Senior Kadima officials fear it will be hard to ensure a Knesset majority to support Vice Premier Shimon Peres as the next president. Peres was nominated on Monday as a second candidate for presidency, along with Likud MK Reuven Rivlin, who is also vying for the role. It appears that former chief rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau may also join the race."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/775553.html

[Dover]

7. Can you imagine ANY U.S. police force holding the prez accountable?

Never happen.

Of course, that is not to say that the Israeli police force are acting entirely independently.
If there is an underground effort underway to bring Katsav and other leaders down, then they might do so through the police. The Israeli police also, apparently, did this with Sharon.

"Police have no legal authority to make any recommendations of this type," said Katsav's attorney Zion Amir in a statement following the announcement.

"This is not the first time police have recommended the indictment of senior figures, including prime ministers, and those recommendations have all been rejected," he said, referring to former prime minister Ariel Sharon.

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. Police recommend rape charges against (Likud) Israeli President

"The President of Israel is fighting for his political life after police recommended he be indicted on sex charges, including rape.

Moshe Katsav, who is under pressure to resign, cancelled an appearance to open the new session of parliament today after some members threatened a boycott.

Iranian-born Mr Katsav, 60, Israel's head of state since 2000, is immune from prosecution while in post but could be charged if impeached by the Knesset.

Yesterday, police said their investigation had produced enough evidence to indict the married father of five on charges including rape, sexual harassment and breaking wire-tapping law.

Mr Katsav, who has rejected calls to resign while the investigation continues, denies the allegations and has vowed to clear his name."

I guess right wingers are the same all over the world.

[Kagemusha]

13. Just to make sure I'm clear on this

I know he's President of Israel but, is he merely a member of the Likud party or something more? Your phrasing (I sympathize concerning the shortness of subject lines) makes that a little unclear. Thanks.

It's a big story in Israel because this guy can play out his presumption of innocence for months and months on end.

[lumberjack_jeff]

14. Wiki calls the President of Israel a "largely ceremonial figurehead"

The Likud party selected a president and prime minister (head of government) as a perk of winning a majority of the 120 seats in the Knesset (parliament).

[Kagemusha]

15. Asking if he's the president of the Likud party really...

It would seem no, just selected by the Likud party back when its name was not mud.

[Ignacio Upton]

17. Why wasn't he replaced by Kadima when they took over?

n/t.

[lumberjack_jeff]

18. Khadima is a bastardized amalgam of left and right

It'd be analagous to a McCain/Lieberman party with Shimon Perez as its leader.

Khadima is essentially a vanity party.

[dnbn]

21. He is still serving his term.

The president in Israel is elected by the parliament, not by the governing party. He had been a Likud MP before being elected as president.

[Ignacio Upton]

16. At least the Israeli President is just a figure-head

If this was Olmert it would cause a lot more problems for Israel.

[Zhade]

20. Rapists and war criminals in power.

The Israeli people need a better government!