[R-G] Backlash over plea bargain in Israel rape case

[Tim Murphy]

Monday July 2, 2007
The Guardian 
www.guardian.co.uk

Backlash over plea bargain in Israel rape case

by

Matti Friedman, 
Associated Press


A plea bargain that would allow Israel's former president to avoid rape
charges and jail has drawn a fierce and unexpected backlash, including a
protest rally in Tel Aviv, and an appeal to the supreme court that has left
the deal in doubt.

The plea bargain between prosecutors and Moshe Katsav, who stepped down as
Israel's ceremonial leader yesterday, would allow him to confess to lesser
counts of sexual harassment and receive a suspended sentence.

In January, the Israeli attorney general, Meni Mazuz, said he was planning
to file rape charges that could carry a 20-year prison term.

Four women who worked for Mr Katsav charged that he repeatedly groped them,
kissed them, exposed himself to them and, in two cases, raped them while he
was president and, earlier, when he was tourism minister. Mr Katsav claims
he is the victim of a witch-hunt.

Dropping the most serious charges sparked outrage from women's rights
activists and led to a quickly organised protest in central Tel Aviv on
Saturday night that drew a surprisingly large crowd of around 20,000.

Yesterday, appeals to the supreme court froze the plea bargain for at least
24 hours.

Sunday papers criticised the deal with near unanimity. In a front page
editorial, Amnon Dankner, editor of the Maariv daily, said it was "the truth
that fell victim" in the plea bargain.

A poll of 503 people by the Dahaf Research Institute published on Friday in
the Yediot Ahronot daily showed that 73% thought justice had not been
served.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,2116236,00.html

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