And, regarding the police, he has a valid point. It's a common phenomenon within the Israeli police that they leak privileged info to the media. Obviously, if the info is leaked, the media will report it; that's their job. Therefore, it's up to the police to be professional and keep information in ongoing cases private. But they don't. And not only in this case. Sadly, it's become a pathetic pattern. For example, in the murder of the teenager in Katzrin, they leaked information about at least three men to the media who were later found to be innocent. The men were ostracized in their communities, one's children were even harassed at school, all because of this irresponsible, unprofessional behavior of police of selective leaks to the press. And why do they do it? Most likely because they know most Israelis find them incompetent so they want to create the impression that they're doing something useful, and they're willing to destroy the reputation of innocent people in order to attempt to save their own. I'm not saying Katsav is innocent. I'm just saying he is right in his claim that the police were wrong.

What if he had invented cancer cure? Was he still from "Arab and Islamic dominated Middle East"? Poor article.

B"H Ray if you start teaching me Hebrew on YNET after your visit, I'll be upset, but I guess I will have to deal with it. There is so much for a beginning standup comedian to learn. I do not think I am funny enough for standup routine that actually makes money. Perhaps there needs to be a ministry of comedy setup for someone to lighten up the situation a little bit. I wonder who would sign up for it first, Israel or Abbas? All the major courts had jesters. A little humor does definately dress up the grub. Although I did not laugh at your article, I did find it very interesting. Thank you for the positive momentum.

So now Katsav is iranian no more jewish, how then he became president of Israel? what about the Ethiopian jews? the sefarad from EU, the sarfat jews and all the others,what are they. You are as kosher as the raloof you tour around israel with. still, you are one of those ready to stone a guy although not having been judge which is against our law. Never know may be it will happen to you one day and then you might change your mind if ever you have one!!!

If an Ashkenazi Jew in the media elite wrote what Ray wrote, they'd be branded a racist and probably fired. In fact, it probably wouldn't have even been published. Ray can get away with this. Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe. I may in the end decide this is stupid and that you're an a**, Ray, but thanks for being thought-provoking nonetheless!

I am an Iranian and a very strong supporter of Israel, and always have been. However I am not Jewish and do not wish to tag myself with "Moslem" either. Perhaps you can an atheist. All I want to say is; if the man is a rapist, he is a rapist regardless of he is born. These name tagging do not help us in general. I have lots of good Jewish friends and as you know they have lived in Persia for thousands of years. Iranians do not hate Jews, but the Iranian government dose. They hate anybody that doesn’t think like them (Stone Age people) including the Iranian people. So let us just think about how we can solve our problems rather than how can we hate each other for absolutely no reason. We all live in one home called the planet earth.

I hope that the Arabs find a way to expose corruption in their leadership.

Wise words...wise words...

I am surprised that someone has the guts to write it, and that the paper let you print the non politically correct truth. The only way to correct things is to say the truth about them.

LEARN YOUR HISTORY.IN REGARD TO KATZAV HE IS A JERK LIKE ANY OTHER FOOLISH LEADERS IN ISRAEL.YOU MAY ASK WHY??THESE FOOLS INSTED OF MAKING ISRAEL BETTER MAKING IT TO BE THE WORST COUNTRY IN THE PLANET.WE NEED TO EXPELL ALL OF THEM TO IRAQ. STARTING WITH, OLMERT, PERES, YOSI BEILIN,KATSAVAND THE GOVERMENT.NEW AND WISE JEWS TO TAKE OVER AND THOSE GOVERNING NOW TO ""BASTURA" ASHPAH"BEYTSHIMUSH ETC..

This article is crazy and an insult to both israelis and arabs. I feel what the preident did has nothing to do with ones origins but ones character. Enough with these comparisons

Why do you engage Arabs & Muslims in this subject .. do all bad things in the world originate from their culture ? .. I think if an Arabian writer blams Jewish people for something .. we will have a headached from hearing "AntiSemetic ... " , 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. Matthew7 ..

OR...He just COULD be INNOCENT ... that MIGHT cause a person to become upset and accuse their accusers...

It sounds reasonable to suggest that this would be a typical behavour in the dicators´world. But... this is definity not the case. Most polititians seem to have in their mind that they are above the law, that woithout them nothing works and that their giveven power which seems to make them sexy is related to them as persons. Mahmoud: it is not correct to blame Muslims for all the bad.. but check out where the leaders are held responsible in a civilized manner

Corruption is corruption. Trying to brand it as Arab or Muslim doesn't help in the least. It's a shame that a reputable news media like Y-Net would publish such superficial commentary.

Nowhere did he suggest that Katzav's crimes were typically Middle Eastern (and to the person who chided Hanania for confusing "ARab" with "Persian" he didn't --in the first paragraph he acknowledged the difference)--corruption exists among people from all backgrounds.What Hanania's point seemed to be to me was that Katzav's *reaction * to the charges against him--blaming the media, the police (which, as one person pointed out actually was unprofessional) and the Ashkenazi "establishment" was emblematic of an Arab/Middle Eastern mentality. He wasn't saying that Jews from the Middle East were endemically corrupt, or that Middle Eastern people were, just that there is a certain paranoid "style" of dealing with allegations that is typically MidEastern. I think he's right.

Just like the rest of your peers who discriminated Sepharadim from the get go for not knowing about Mozart and Bethoven, and because they did not eat pork as well.

Is Olmert also an Arab? What about Barak? What about Clinton? Katzav should step down and go thru the court process...However you Hananya are a bad person..... Are you the Judge?

good posting, Ray Hanania poses an even larger question: will Israel be more inluenced by the cultural rot & decline of Europa or will there be more of a slant towards the ding-dong barbarism of the Arab lands? the blatant versus the hidden?

I'm not Persian, or Arab, but this article smacks of racism to me.

Regardless of wether Katzav is guilty or not, he deserves a fair trial!!! The problem is that Israelis have already convicted him solely based on the fact that he has been accused of sexual harassment and rape. Accusations do not equal conviction!!!

Your rules say that "Comments containing incitement, slander, racist slurs and inappropriate language deemed to violate our terms of use won't be published." This artical is as racist as it gets. You can find grounds to criticise Katsav, but why in a racist way. Not even Nasrallaha has been abused in such terms. Shame on you "snowflake".

SO THATS WHY THE REGIME IN ISRAEL ALWAYS DEFENSE FOR SOME ARAB CRIMINALS LEADERS ( LIKE BASHAR ASSAD )!

The two faces of Ray 'what's his name'! Not your 'usual' column. Not better, just Pandering to a different audience.

Only a few people read the column :) Actually, the column is a criticism of the Arab World, not Israel, but you know how extremists are :) ... I have learned they are illiterate or just don't read much ... Anyway, as I watched Katsav talk, it sounded like a typical Arab leader to me blaming everything on everyone else, rather than addressing the issues. Did then and still does now sound that way. And I thought the Khatami joke was great. He said he wanted to visit Plocker's "country" but I don't recall him ever saying he wanted to visit "Israel." Yes, every Arab leader wants to visit Plockers "country," but not while it is "Israel." No problem. The response to the Israeli-Palestinian comedy Tour has been so phenomenal that I know the 50 to 10 people who criticize me here are such a minority that should give us all hope and realization that the namecalling is really worthless and doesn't really represent the majority of the people. THANKS ISRAELIS AND PALESTININIANS FOR PROVING TO ME THAT YOU LOVE PEACE< REASON AND THAT THERE IS HOPE ... Yalla Habibi! :) Ray Hanania www.IPComedyTour.com

It is wonderful to hear you report the overwhelming, positive response you and your comedy tour have had and hopefully will continue to have! I look forward to doing our 3rd, half-hour episode of Salam-Shalom/ Shalom-Salam in early 2/'07and invite all your new and not so "nu" friends to view us at www.hanania.com (Click on the green,highlighted field to the blue & white, Channel 9 box)! We welcome feedback to Ray's and Brian's email addresses. Watch two friends, both from Chicago's Southern Suburbs, American moderates of proud Arab and Jewish ancestory, in their lively, monthly discussion/dialogue program. It is our hope that, with your help, this forum becomes a place where moderates can learn from each other how to better foster a lasting peace that has been too long in coming to the Middle East. Brian Zakem bzakem@comcast.net