Former President Moshe Katsav, who was found guilty of two counts of rape on Thursday, prayed at a synagogue in his hometown of Kiryat Malachi Saturday evening.
Katsav, who frequents the synagogue regularly, apparently made some of the other worshippers uncomfortable. "He was quiet and appeared sad," one of them told Ynet. "It was an awkward situation; only a few people spoke to him."
The residents of Kiryat Malachi were split over the guilty verdict. Some supported Katsav and claimed he was innocent, while others said many people knew he was guilty but kept silent.
"Where there's smoke, there's fire," one resident said.
Another resident said filing an appeal would only make things worse for Katsav. "We were surprised that the court convicted him on all counts," he said.