Israel's President was just escorted to prison where he will spend the next seven years for rape, and all kinds of other offenses; can you believe it?

Good for Israel.

Now if the US justice department would have the same attitude about the Fast and Furious gun runners I would be pleased. Not just the peons, but the upper management that was supposed to know what was going on.

Whaaaat? No, I can’t believe it. I hate to hear it.

@JLeslie you hate to hear a rapist was sent to prison?

I think she means because it was the President. Thankfully, the new one is considered one of the greatest statesmen in the world – and probably the only one in Israel who could broker a peace agreement. He was also, twice, acting Prime Minister. My hero, Shimon Peres.

Prison boy

Shimon

I am glad that Israel did not let him off the hook because of his political standing. And I agree with you about Shimon.

I hate to hear he committed such outrageous crimes.

Good. No love lost for Katsav. Peres is a good liberal. Too bad he’s not the PM anymore. Wish he could switch places with Netanyahu.

Israel’s ex-president. He resigned in 2007. The charges are from as 2005. I can believe he’s gone to prison. It has been a long time coming. He should have taken the earlier plea deal IMHO. I wonder how much of an issue his being the only Israeli president to come from a Muslim country is in local discussions, @zensky.

It’s not an issue now – though he did cry foul then re. his Mizrahi background. Now he’s just your everyday slimey rapist, afaic. And we’re so glad he didn’t take the plea bargain – add idiot and full of stupid pride to his resume.

Why would it matter that he is from a Muslim country? Was he not born in Israel, and people questioned that specifically? Similar to how the US does not allow people born outside of the US to be President? Or, is there some sort of negativity associated with Mizrahi Jews? They have been absorbed in, accepted in, with the Sephardic haven’t they?

I can believe it. I just don’t think the purpose of this arrest is because Israel cares about rape.

Oh? Do tell.

Am I not supposed to? I’m not surprised at all. Nothing surprises me anymore.

@zensky When decisions are made about politicians (and this is basically a decision someone made about a politician they no longer wanted in power), they’re never because someone is considering improving rights or because they find rape objectionable…I mean, come on. So whatever the reason was wasn’t because suddenly rape is problematic to men in power.

His secretaries complained, lawyers were hired and there was an investigation. There was a lengthy closed door trial and a conviction. Like anywhere else – democratic. I still don’t follow – except the usual anti-Israel sentiment of your posts.

@zensky I am not anti-Israel. There are very specific Israeli actions I am against and they’re involved in quite a lot of pink-washing but that’s not specific to Israel. Neither is sexism or a rape culture. I am answering this question without a care that it is Israel’s president but that, in my opinion, no president is ever disposed of just because they raped someone…it is only when they raped someone and their removal benefits someone else or some other pattern that this ‘democratic’ practice will take place.

Nope. It’s all about the rape. The President of Israel, as I mentioned, is but a figurehead. It’s not a political position. No-one gained from his demise, there are no conspiracies that I know of.

@zensky Well, we’ll never know what’s going on behind closed doors. I just have a hard time believing that rape is convicted for once out of concern for the women. If that was true, statistics for the country of Israel in regards to rape or those in the U.S. would bear witness. They do not.

Let’s see the stats.

@zensky Incidentally, the U.S. government has cancelled the latest review of rape conviction rates in the U.S. due to ‘budget concerns’. I would love to spend time looking up stats but I know from years of reading up that, in the U.S., a small percentage of rape gets reported and of all that do, like 4% get convictions for the rapist. But I know our conviction rate is better than some other countries. Here is something…look at the table on bottom – check out how Israel compares…

They’re from 1990. Israel has probably come a long way in over twenty years. Like putting away a former President, no less.

I’m reading now – the U.S. rate in 2004 was 5.3…no I know those are dated…I’m trying to find current ones.

1990 was a long time ago. And it only shows convictions. What kind of a stat is that?

@zensky The kind that is the lowest. So there are thousands of rapes not reported. There are some that are..of those very few get an appropriate punishment. As it stands, without going further, google has no results on Israel and rape conviction rates. Just in general, you can look at 1990 stats to see how much lower conviction rates are in Israel. If by the ‘change in the last 20 years’ you mean a significant increase in conviction rates, I’d like to know why.

Here is an article that links to some numbers. Sorry I can’t find more. Here’s some study done that shows general views about rape in Israel. Doesn’t look like things are all that great. This data shows Israel as #6 in the world for most rapes.

In good news, here’s an article showing both stats for Israel and that more women are calling in as a result of this arrest – that’s good.

I don’t know what that means, but Israel is right between Finland and Norway – usually a good place to be on any list. Let’s check the stats on some other middle eastern countries, like, say, your friends in Syria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Oh right, kissing in public is illegal there. And woman can’t drive. Oh, and in Iran there is no homosexuality at all. It’s not that’s it’s only illegal – the Achmendinijad says it just doesn’t exist.

I think Israel is doing fine as a democracy – and in terms of rape – a little better than the US – especially when it comes to sexual abuse. See Clinton et al vs., say Haim Ramon a respected MK who was booted out and convicted of harrassment for kissing, yep kissing his military attache (female assistant).

I’d feel confident if, heaven forbid, something happened to a daughter or sister of mine, the Israeli judicial system would punish the rapist accordingly.

@zensky Not for this list…it means rapes happen a lot in Finland and Norway as well. And what do you mean ‘my friends’ in all these places? Oh you mean that I align myself with all ‘arabs’ that hate Israel, lol? We’re not talking about all these other things, they exist and it’s true and I know you really want to think that Israel is a great democracy but in may ways it’s not. Neither is the U.S. Not for women, not for queers. I don’t care that in some other country, women can’t drive. That’s not a standard.