Jerusalem – Israel’s Supreme Court has delayed a jail term for an ex-Israeli president convicted for crimes until after a hearing on his appeal.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Moshe Katsav was convicted of rape in December. He was set to begin his seven-year jail sentence on May 8.
The high court decided Tuesday to delay his imprisonment at least until the hearing later this month.
Lawyers for Katsav filed the appeal this week.
Katsav was convicted of raping an employee when he was a Cabinet minister in 1998.
He was sentenced in March, making him the country’s highest ranking official ever ordered to prison.
Katsav has denied the charges, claiming he is a victim of a political witch hunt.
Somehow, I do not think the Israeli Supreme Court (or any other court, for that matter) would be so lenient and so understanding if it was Ploni ben-Almoni who was to be jailed.
Ploni’s feet would not even touch the ground before the prison doors slammed shut behind him.
Why would they delay the sentence for a convicted rapist? What does his prior political office have to do with such a terrible crime?
I believe Pres. Katsaz was targeted because he was a Sephardi Jew, in particular an Iranian edot hamizrah. Look at all the records and notes surrounding this case and you will see that he is not guilty, just guilty of being an Oriental Jew. Haflayah(bigotry) exists big time in Israel and I pray that President Katsav is exonerated on this false charge.