The Israeli President, Moshe Katsav, on Monday cancelled an appearance at the opening session of Parliament as he faced mounting pressure over a police recommendation that he be charged with rape.
But Katsav (60) gave no suggestion that he intended to resign his post, despite the wave of criticism he faces.
Police on Sunday said that after months of investigations they had enough evidence to call for the president to be charged with rape and sexual assault as well as fraud, illegal wiretapping, bribery and obstruction of justice. Five women from his office have provided evidence against him, saying in some cases he forced them to have sex. A further five women made complaints of sexual harassment dating back several years.
Israel’s attorney general, Menahem Mazuz, is expected to take several weeks deciding whether to charge the president, and if so, what those charges should be.
Katsav, who became president six years ago, was a bland political figure until these allegations. His position is largely ceremonial and his resignation would not unseat the government.
But his attendance at the start of the winter session of the Knesset on Monday was to have been one of his most visible duties. Several MPs had threatened to boycott the session if he attended.
The president’s brother, Lior Katsav, suggested he wanted to avoid a confrontation. ”There are apparently some members of the Knesset who want to hover like vultures over carcasses and create provocations and to harm the image of the Knesset and symbols of power in Israel,” he told Army Radio. ”The president will not be part of this charade.” He said his brother was innocent.
Katsav’s lawyer said the president would not resign, although if charges were formally brought that might be a ”turning point”. If charges are laid, they will be the most serious faced by an Israeli leader and would probably force him to resign to face trial. A rape conviction carries a maximum of 16 years in jail.
Israeli newspapers rounded on the president on Monday, saying he should step down now. Farewell, President Katsav, said one headline to an article in the Ha’aretz newspaper by Ze’ev Segal. If Katsav did not resign immediately, he wrote, he ”will find himself at the head of an institution whose foundation he has destroyed”.
An article in the Ma’ariv newspaper was headlined Your Excellency, My Rapist. ”Even if only 10% of the allegations against Katsav are true, the gravity of the offences still defies comprehension, almost like the infamy which he has brought to the office of the president,” wrote the article’s author, Moshe Gorali.
At the parliamentary session, the Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, said he was open to peace talks with Lebanon and that the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, was a ”legitimate partner” for talks. The peace process is in its worst stalemate for years, however. There are no signs that Lebanon is willing to talk to Israel, or that the Palestinians are in a position to begin negotiations. Olmert called for a meeting with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora, and said Hezbollah ”has ceased to exist as a state within a state in Lebanon”. He ruled out talks with Syria. – Guardian Unlimited Â