Israeli state rocked by sex-harassment saga

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Israel's attorney general has decided to indict a top minister and key ally of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on charges of sexual harassment, in a new blow to a government that emerged politically weakened this week from a 34-day war against Hezbollah fighters.

Justice Minister Haim Ramon was informed on Thursday that he is entitled to a hearing "to try to convince the attorney general otherwise," said Moshe Cohen, a Justice Ministry spokesperson.

Ramon, 56, is suspected of forcibly kissing an 18-year-old female soldier during a farewell party at a government office. The incident allegedly took place July 12, the day the war erupted."

<snip>

"Ramon is only the latest among a string of top Israeli officials to be targeted in investigations.

Israel's State Comptroller is looking into a Jerusalem property deal involving Olmert. President Moshe Katsav has been accused by a former employee of sexual harassment, though no charges have been filed. Tzahi Hanegbi of Kadima, the chairman of parliament's influential Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, was informed earlier this week he would be charged with fraud, bribery and perjury."

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=3&art_id=qw1155891064121B226&set_id=



Ramon to resign on Sunday, will face trial on indecent assault

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/752168.html


PM to be summoned to answer questions on apartment purchase

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/751478.html


Police may charge Katsav with rape in light of woman's claims

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/752162.html


Tzachi Hanegbi to be indicted over political appointments

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/750948.html

[MrPrax]

1. Like it's foreign policy,

Israeli politics is a blood sport from the looks of it...

(But why are you posting this here :eyes:)

BTW, when I was trolling through some of the ME/Israeli links a couple of weeks ago, I remember this one with the Justice minister stirring and thinking at the time...another one?

Thanks for keeping us up to date on the continuing saga called Kadima...I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I understand Olmert's poll numbers are back down...that Lebanon thing didn't give them much bounce.

[Scurrilous]

2. Things aren't looking good for Olmert.

Leaders' poll ratings slump

<snip>

"THE Israeli Government is paying the price of failing to secure anything like a victory over Hezbollah with a drastic fall in its opinion poll ratings.

Ehud Olmert’s approval rating as Prime Minister slumped to 43 per cent in one newspaper poll, while another found that 57 per cent wanted Amir Peretz to resign as Defence Minister.

Mr Peretz bowed to public pressure last night and appointed a committee of inquiry headed by a former army chief to examine the military’s state of readiness before and during the 34-day conflict, amid allegations that it was ill-prepared, had bad intelligence about Hezbollah’s capabilities and was too timid in launching a large-scale ground campaign.

The opinion polls reflect an ultra-hawkish mood among Israelis, with most believing that their forces should have inflicted more damage. Seventy per cent told the Yediot Ahronoth newspaper that Israel should have refused the terms of the ceasefire agreed earlier this week. A similar poll in Maariv said that 53 per cent opposed the terms of the ceasefire."

<snip>

"In a country accustomed to quick and crushing victories, a glum electorate concluding that no one won the war (66 per cent) rather than Israel (18 per cent) or Hezbollah (15 per cent). The clearest winner appears to be Binyamin Netanyahu, the rightwing opposition leader, who could win if a general election were held today."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2316382,00.html

[HuffleClaw]

3. i guess it beats having to talk about their losing the war?

nice timing.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. Better to concentrate on SEX than on a failed WAR

Considering the experience of both Bill Clinton and our current "War President", I think the Israeli powers-that-be should be greatful for the skin-spin.

--p!

[regnaD kciN]

5. Unfortunately, the likely outcome of this...

...is the fall of Kadima and (since Israelis have been subject to the usual militaristic drum-beating of "all the Arabs want to kill us -- be afraid!") the return to power of Netanyahu and his even-more-hardline-than-before Likud Party. :-(

[Spinoza]

6. No wonder Israel's neighbors

hate Israel's guts.

[cali]

9. What precisely, does

this story have to do with Israel's neighbors hating its guts? Seriously, you're not honestly suggesting that internal Israeli scandals are germane to anything, are you? Actually, it looks like you are.

Pathetic.

[PassingFair]

7. With all the bullshit going on in the world, ESPECIALLY

THERE....who has time for SEX, let alone SEXUAL HARASSMENT?

Didn't this guy have ENOUGH on his plate?

It is enough for me to struggle through the day at a
lousy job and worry about paying the mortgage and taxes.

I don't understand this.

Must be a testosterone thing.

[ShockediSay]

8. typically right wingnuts nt

[bunyip]

10. Treating female soldiers as prostitutes again?

Hardly the first time this issue has arisen in the Israeli media. And the abuse is not limited to the Army - Victor Ostrovsky in 'By Way of Deception' discussed Mossad heavyweights holding sex-parties with female soldiers. :grr:

This problem is not specific to Israel. Rather, it is the foreseeable consequence of conscription, especially conscription of young, vulnerable women into a secretive, patriarchal military world.

In every army, there is someone willing to sleep with higher-ups in order to get out of duties they don't want to do. When you have huge numbers of bored and unmotivated conscripts, who are treated like dirt by all-powerful superiors, then of course the problem mushrooms.

Israel's culture of secrecy and in-group loyalty doesn't help, either.