Moshe Katzav, President of Israel until his letter of resignation formally takes effect tomorrow, is no longer accused officially of rape. Two charges of that crime indicated in preliminary documents did not appear in the plea bargain arranged by his attorneys and the Attorney General. Katzav has accepted the terms of resignation, being charged with committing indecent acts without consent, sexual harassment of two women, and harassing a witness. While the crimes carry a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment, the plea bargain calls for a suspended sentence, and some compensation to victims.
It's not quite the case that "all hell is breaking loose," but lots of women and not a few men are upset. A protest demonstration in Tel Aviv drew a modest crowd. The reporter on the scene for the public television channel reported that 200,000 people had appeared. When pressed by the newsperson in the studio that perhaps he meant 20,000, he repeated that people were telling him that there were 200,000, and continued to speak enthusiastically about the support for punishing Katzav more severely, and firing the Attorney General.
Next day's newspaper estimated the crowd at 20,000. The Israeli standard of comparison is the 400,000, said to have been at a protest in 1982 when Ariel Sharon was found at least indirectly responsible for a massacre of Palestinians in Beirut.
If anyone out there wants a good looking, slightly chubby, but not too bright or professional reporter who might serve as a local weather boy, if he can report in something other than Hebrew, there may be one available here.
One of the principal accusers of Katzav held a press conference after the announcement of the plea bargain. She detailed the sexual behavior of a low life who worked his way with effort and luck to become the President of Israel. She also demonstrated why the prosecutors did not include her charges among those filed against Katzav. Twice she submitted letters of resignation as an employee of the presidency. When they were rejected, she continued to work with Katzav. She also accepted a promotion.
It has been a while since Israeli courts demanded that a victim fight vigorously in order to establish a charge of rape. But a prosecutor wants something stronger in the direction of "No" than demonstrated by this victim.
The Attorney General described Katzav as a serial sexual offender in a news conference, but admitted to the problems in justifying the strongest charges in court. He also expressed concern about subjecting the presidency to a long and gruesome trial. The story of Richard Nixon sheds some light on these calculations.
The issue is not over. Several groups are petitioning the Supreme Court to overturn the plea bargain. The judges of the lower court may demand revision, especially of the sentence suspension, when the issue comes before them. Commentators are likely to roil us for some time.
Katzav may screw himself. Soon after the plea bargain was announced, he and family members asserted his innocence, and said that he accepted the bargain only to save his family the pressures of a trial. Then the senior prosecutor threatened that such behavior would invalidate the bargain, and start the process again. The almost-former president may yet find himself one of the least enamored guests of the Prison Authority.