Former Israeli president “is a rapist, liar and a violent person”, said Judge George Kara in one of the harshest convictions ever to be imposed on an Israeli official.

Former president, Moshe Katsav, was charged with 2 counts of rape and sexual harassment of 4 employees that worked for him while he was Minister of Tourism and President of the state of Israel. Additional complaints were rejected by court for Statute of limitations.

The verdict ended a long 4 years saga of investigation and over a year of trail that took place mostly behind closed doors. President Katsav has rejected a plea bargain offered to him by state prosecution that most likely would have bailed him out with minor felonies. Katsav, the 8^th President of the state of Israel, had resigned from office in 2007 and in a very emotional press conference, attacked the Israeli media that he believed, have conducted a witch hunt against him. 

Former president Moshe Katsav

Katsav’s family has shown a firm front along the trail. His son, Boaz, said right after the indictment that justice has not been done according to “Israeli tradition”…”we keep standing next to our father and we believe he is innocent”. His wife Gila, did not stand next to her husband in court and told family relative “I’m feeling very bad” following the conviction. 

Women organization, which followed the trail closely supporting, sometimes solely, the plaintiff with the support they needed were in the most part happy. Orit Kamir, one of Israel’s leading Feminist law scholar said ” the state of Israel is not hiding the fact that the man she choose to represent her is a convicted sexual criminal….Israel will carry the terrible blame that her president is a rapist and sexual harasser”.

“Its still long way ahead and we will go anywhere we need” said Katsav’s lawyer shortly after the reading implying they are going to appeal the verdict to Supreme Court.

PM Netanyahu said “this is a sad day to the state of Israel and its citizens. The court has delivered clear message: everyone is equal in the face of the law…”

According to Legal analysis Katsav can expect a dual-digit arrest term. Analysts also expect the appeal to fail in Supreme Court.