MK Nissim Zeev
Photo: Zoom 77
Innocent until proven guilty
As long as president has not been found guilty by court, he must not be forced to step down
In recent weeks, we have witnessed a smear campaign of reports and personal opinions that intend to dishonor the president of the State of Israel. They were meant to make the president resign of his own will, or be forced to do so.
Throughout this period, facing stories and leaks, the president stood firm and denied involvement in any such matters, stating that he is a victim of blackmail, conspiracy, and lies woven against him in an unprecedented manner to undemocratically depose him.
The issue follows from testimonies by several women, primarily one dubbed A. The strange and unique aspect of this affair is the fact that the accusers speak of acts allegedly perpetrated in the distant past, to which the stature of limitations applies.
According to Jewish Halacha, the credibility of a rape victim is tested by its conduct during or soon after the act, by whether she took action to stop or prevent it. The Jewish law states that if the woman did not cry out, there was no rape. In our case, not only did the plaintiffs not cry out at the time, but they even waited years before filing their complaints.
Global interest
President's sex scandal appears in world papers, international TV broadcasts from CNN to BBC
Noteworthy is the heavy pressure applied on the president and its destructive impact on his family. To wit, his old mother had a stroke because she could not endure the accusations and insults leveled at her son.
Media and administrative lynch
President Katsav, however, warned time and again that he has been wronged since the day in which plaintiff A tried to blackmail him in a conversation he taped and recorded, forcing him to file a complaint against her.
If the facts she raised held water, it may be assumed that the president would not have filed that initial complaint. Hence, ever since that day, he has felt persecuted, suffering media and administrative lynching, and is willing to fight back and prove his innocence, if a criminal charge sheet is ever filed against him.
I feel that from a public, legal, and democratic perspective, the conduct of the state authorities and the media were unheard of. The president's blood is being spilled, the Presidency is being trampled over, and the personal dignity of the president and his family is being tarnished.
At the same time, the same authorities and media inexplicably ignore the issues that the president's attorneys bring up to prove his innocence, including the fact that the plaintiffs repeatedly expressed their willingness to continue working in his bureau.
One of them even presented a written program, offering to develop new channels and her professional services, beyond the secretarial work she had performed until then. Only after the president rejected her suggestions did she choose to file a complaint against him.
Where's the investigation?
The appropriate procedure in this case should have been an extraordinary investigative process, conducted by notable experts in the presence of neutral observers. Naturally, the affair should have been investigated secretly until the investigators file their final and unequivocal report.
When similar affairs emerged in enlightened countries, they were investigated by selected higher committees that included elected officials and representatives of law-enforcement and investigating agencies. The honor accused notable was kept intact.
In this context, we may mention the Lewinsky affair, in which US President Clinton was found without blemish even though he lied, as well as similar affairs in England, France, Greece, and Italy.
Certainly, if the intention is to thoroughly investigate the matter and get to the bottom of truth, it must be ascertained that all preliminary proceedings and the verification and investigation stages should be conducted honestly, without a shadow of a doubt, and while securing the full cooperation of the parties involved.
Keeping these stages under a veil of secrecy - to protect the honor of everyone involved - must be strictly observed. Naturally, the media should be prevented from judging anyone at all cost because this serves the interests of the bodies that own those media and mainly wish to sell more.
I feel that the media had even greater interests than these simplistic goals, and that the fact that it obsessed about this affair follows from its desire to oppress and eradicate the honorable Presidency, having done so in the past to other state positions.
As long as the president has not been found guilty by the court, particularly before even a charge sheet was filed by the State Attorney and the Attorney General's Office, the president must not be forced to step down. He must be given an opportunity to defend his honor and name - an elementary right accorded to any citizen involved in criminal trial.
This right must certainly not be taken away from the president of the state. This is why I believe that the president should be honored for as long as he holds his high position.
