Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav, of Iranian descent, was convicted in December of rape and obstructing justice. He was sentenced today to seven years in jail.
He has repeatedly denied any wrong doing, but was found guilty for rape, as well as molesting and sexually harassing several other women while serving as President.
The Presidency of Israel is a figurehead with no real power. But Katsav is of Middle Eastern descent and by and large, Jews of Middle Eastern descent are very underrepresented in the Israeli government. So despite its limited power, his position was one of great import for large swaths of Israeli society. Katsav used this point to claim the charges and subsequent trial “a witch hunt.”
Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the verdict shows that no one in Israel is above the law. Whichever way you look at it – either this being racially-minded politics at its worst or this meaning the previous President of Israel was a rapist – this is a sad day for Israel.