This is the first time I have ever agreed with Yossi Beilin. He understands the larger picture; others sound like they have a mob mentality to lynch, lynch, lynch. The court verdict to convict Moshe Katav of rape is not based on fact but rather on circumstance. Even if he had full sexual relations with Aleph that is not proof of rape. Consider the following: Shortly after the alleged rape did Aleph run to the police to file a formal complaint? No Did Aleph go to a hospital for an examination to support a rape accusation? No Did Aleph go to her personal physcian for an examination to support a rape accusation? No Did Aleph report to her close friends and family immediately after the incident that she had been raped? No How many times after the 'rape' incidents did she meet Katsav privately to discuss their relationship? What was the attraction between her and Katsav? Why were there any meetings? For the uninformed, the Israeli court decides the outcome of cases before the trial and nothing much that happens during the trial is seriously considered. As things stand now, Katsav will receive more punishment being free than locked up in jail. He will be shunned by everyone. His life will not be worth living The site of a former president of the State of Israel being chained and lead to jail for a legal decision based on circumstance with no hard evidence will punish the State of Israel and its people more than any other conceivable punishment. We will become the laughing stock of the world and instead of people praising us and our justice system they will curse us as not worthy of having our own state.

But it doesn't mean he is innocent. I understand that there were other testimonies from other women not even admitted in court. So maybe there is more that meets the eye. If he really is a rapist, that is a major crime, and rapists don't change. They do it over and over again. It wouldn't be a question of the proportion of the punishment as much as it would be concerning protecting the population from such a person. He was convicted, whether correctly or not, and presidents, even prime ministers are not above the law. In my opinion, they should even behave better than the public.

dear mr. beilin. katzav is a sick man. like every rapist he belongs behind bars and not in and around society. the state of israel has been embarrassed already. having him in jail to rot is the best medication for all those potential.........he only belongs behind bars for the rest of his life along with all those that knew what he was doing........

Beilin, whether one agrees with him or not, is supposed to be a very clever fellow. That he could advance such a silly idea is hard to believe. It's just not in character. Maybe this article is a fake, and was not really written by him.

I'm gobsmacked! Is this article a joke? If Katsav is pardoned Israel will truly be the laughing stock of the world! He should be given a harsher punishment for shaming the office of President and because he was in a position of power over the women--was more than one. The courts did the right thing, lets hope they continue acting in a professional manner and send this pervert to jail.

I'd rather see a former president behind bars than a convicted rapist on the streets or doing community service. All are equal in the eyes of the law, meaning he should not get preferential treatment because of his former status. And from reports I've read and media footage I've seen,I think the world, on the whole, has shown admiration for our justice system. As anIsraeli, I certainly don't feel ashamed of my former president's conduct. After all Joe Public didn't elect him. Rather it reflects on those whoe did and knew what sort of a person he was.

Pardon me for making an observation, but criminals of every class are being given lighter and lighter punishment, especially here in Holland. It is now so that pure murder in Holland will get you only a few years in prison. This is anti-Biblical. It makes my life and your life of very little value. This whole push to pity the damned criminal because he might have been a little "insane" at the moment of the crime is nothing more than an attempt by some people to cheapen the lives of the rest of us. How can the elite globalists think they will not have to pay for their social poison? You have to thank Y. Beilin among others for the crimes of Oslo. And wasn't he meeting enemies of the State in secret and against the law? And how did that whole plan work out? Beilin is as embarrassing as Katsav.

Are you kidding me? Nothing would make me prouder as an Israeli than to see a convicted rapist suffer the consequences of his male chauvanist behavior . The fact that he was president is even more reason to be proud of our justice system. Prison for ALL rapists!

#23 and #30 are correct. The trial was a sham trial much like anti-Semitic trials in Tsarist and Stalinist Russia, Iraq, Iran, etc. As Sheftel has said, the Israeli left is now using the Prosecutor and Judiciary to try to retain the power it lost at the ballot box. That elitist, far-left, socialist, white Ashekazi left forms a mafia incapable of doing justice to those not part of their crowd, such as the Iranian-born, religious Mizrahi Likudnik Katsav, or the ultra-orthodox (and innocent) Slonim who were jailed. I have staunchly suported Israel for decades, but for now I am withdrawing my support -- until its courts and academia are comletely purged of the far-left mafia which persecutes those who are religious or politically conservative. Political trials have no place in a democracy.

Beilin is so wrong and misguided on this one. What a ridiculous and absurd suggestion that the country will suffer because its ex-president is in jail. Such reasoning is beyond logic and would give the likes of Katzav pardoning even if his crime was murder. Obviously he should be in jail. He is a convicted rapist. It doesn't matter who he was apart from that. Does Beilin want to reduce the moral standing of the country to the likes of the darkest African regimes just because we are talking about an ex-president here? Does he want to equate Israel with Zimbabwe, or even the ANC's South Africa which also has a rapist president? Does he think before grabbing the microphone?

the man is a sick man and like any other rapist he belongs behind bars. the sooner the better. no one is above the law. he is a dnager to society. would you like to live next door to a RAPIST??????????

You are quoted as saying "I think the real punishment ... to remain on his street, to look into the eyes of those close to him, to look into the eyes of his grandchildren and to know that everyone knows the truth." Where does it stop? If a rapist was only well known in his own community, say a mid-sized city, this statement would be true for him also. What if the rapist held public office in a small town or settlement? Or a marginal public office, but everyone knew him? What if he was a school principal? Would you still keep him out of jail, because everyone knew him and it was embarassing that someone who held that position was a rapist?

to obay the law, otherwise you will be that allowed rapists go free it will encorage people to rape, I think Bilin is mega idiot and lefty, their values r shady to the max. they will claim rightiousness only when it serve their goal.

Is Mr. Beilin in any way aware of the gravity of the act of RAPE! If the victims here were from his own family, I doubt if we would be hearing such largesse! Again and again we bend over backwards in pity of the criminals - what about the women who were raped!! The criminal must serve his time and in that way JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED. The State of Israel will show the world that in our country, irrespective of the unfortunate publicity - there is RULE OF LAW! These words sound at all familiar to you Mr. Beilin?

Very strange coming from Beilin!!! Does he know facts we do not??? Has he got doubts about the verdict???

ex politician is simply doing his best to attract attention

I'm not politically oriented like Beilin, but as a french attorney, I say:"beilin is right and courageous" This verdict is a shame, not for katsav, but for the israel judiciary system. Without any material evidence, only with one-sided testimonies, it is middle age justice! To day against katsav, to morrow against israeli officers and politicians!

of disgraceful politicians -- Beilin. Mr Beilin, you are not only an imbecile, an idiot, but with time, acquired a flawed brain that must be patched up."" Our country portrayed whose President is like this "" Mr Beilin do you know how many heads of states, presidents, are and were like that, the world over? The driving force of powerful men has always been SEX -- in business, govt, religion. Should I mention how many Prelates,from the openly notorious Cardinal Richelieu, to today's churches and monastaries enjoying this " forbiten fruit " --- with children?.How about Roosevelt having a mistress for many years,while Eleanor watched?; and Jack Kennedy with his brothers having mistresses all over (incl. Marilyn Monroe), or the French Presidents ( always a mark of distintion), to Bill Clinton's notorious affairs( as a Governor and a President ); the Italians?(lets not talk about it );I won't bother you with Mao or arab potentates who order " broads " by the truckload. Jack Kennedy had the decency to demand only one dollar for running the country, but most of the others steal.lie, cheat ---- as a matter of interest; did you know that Henry Kissinger presented a bill to the US treasury for a seamstress having to fix a rip on a suit he was wearing? -- so much for " Big Shots ".Power corrupts?.Powerful men have have the urge, the need to show off their manhood; where else but " La Femme ". Not that " La Femme" was not taking advantage of any situation for monetary and other gains. The problem with Katzav is that he was all the above and did not have the decency to resign and spare the country this disgrace.Instead he chose to drag "his beloved country " into a political mud for 4 years, while collecting over a million + yearly for services not rendered,including limo, chauffeur, secretaries,offices, provided by our "gracious govt ". Good day Mr Beilin!

The time is coming when the organizers and promoters of the "peace process" (Beilin one of them) will be charged with responsibility for several thousand murdered and maimed Israelis. If Katsav deserves 16 years in jail, what do the "peaceniks" deserve ? That's why he is panicking.

We all should agree about the importance of Pardon,when It comes to matters of person to person relationships.The Presidential institute is not a holy shrine.

Nixon was pardoned by Gerald Ford after he inherited the presidency from Nixon which I think in itself makes a mockery of the presidency. Commit a crime as president, resign & your successor will pardon you. Yossi a little tip for making Meretz electable in future is to stop acting as a champion to terrorists, illegal economic migrants, rapists and all other law breakers you feel sorry for. Meeretz solution to major terror attacks is not launch a military operation to stop it instead lets say please Mr Hamas man sir don't kill us instead lets sit down like best friends and work out how we can get a state for you. If its illegals the policy is to say the best solution is to welcome them all with open arms then they won't have to come here illegally. Locking up Katsav sends the message to the world that Israel believes in justice and no man is above the law no matter what their job title. We don't do as the arabs do and discretely sweep it under the carpet if the criminal is a member of the ruling class. Former JUSTICE MINISTER Belin if you had a daughter and she was raped would you be calling for the rapist to be pardoned so people don't have to look at the rapists family and think they have a rapist in that family?

No pardon, If he is guilty but if not the ashkenazi nomenklatura musst be put in jail.

There is no point in keeping this man in prison at the expense of the State. The punishment that he has already received and the fact that he will go through life with the stigma of a "sign of Cain" and the fact that his family will suffer greatly for his crimes and misdemeanors are not only ample punishment they far outdo the punishment of a prison sentence. He will walk in shame wherever he goes. His family will walk in shame. His children and grandchildren will be punished. "Fathers ate unripe fruit and the teeth of children shall be dull". He is a "religious" man, this is "God's" punishment.

Beilin and male talkbackers have one thing in common - forgive the rapist and let him suffer his shame and the stigma of shame upon his family for his actions for all of the future, in freedom. Believe me, looking upon Katzav's face - I see no shame, no regret, no remorse. All I see is a man thinking he can get away with anything. As for the public paying for his stay at a prison, why not make his family pay for his stay ??? Twice punishment !

Comments don't get more stupid than Beilin's although he's made some really dumb ones in the past! The huge majority of Israelis want Katsav locked up for at least 10 years and when we look into his eyes we want his to be on the other side of bars. Beilin would obvisously love murderers and terrorists to be released too, so that they'd have to look at the public in the eyes. Beilin should seek medical treatment! I, like everybody that I know sees locking up Katsav as a wonderful way of improving Israel's world image and seeing Hirshscon being in prison and Katsav and Olmert heading in the same direction as a demonstation of Israel's determination to get rid of criminals regardless of their seeming importance. Not many countries would carry out the cleaning that Israel is now engaged in!

If his mother was raped by this Katsav dog, I'm sure he would be calling for castration and a long prison sentence.

What kind of message does this send to the Israeli public if we pardon some rapists because they have had a political career and don't pardon others? That would give the Israeli public something to fe ashamed of. What happens with Olmert? Assuming he is convicted and ordered to serve a prison sentence should we pardon him because he was once a politician? It would make a laughing stock of the justice system if we allow certain criminals to be pardoned based on their job before they were convicted.

what do you mean "....From everything we know " ,.. the honorable court decided on their finding ..not " From everything we know " as you commented.

Most of the writers rightfully condemn Beilin's idea to spare Katsav from jail time. What they don't understand is Beilin's incredible history of being out of touch with reality. After thousands of Israeli casualties due to Oslo, the utter failure of the Gaza withdrawal, and his history of being wrong, he still either has the chutzpa or is psychotic to render a proclamation that he believes is wise even though (as always) his reasoning makes no sense. I'm sure that the countries of the world that kill a rape victim for"honor" agree with Beilin. However, all civilized and decent countries have to applaud Israel for its legal system. Beilin, if you don't know it already, rape is a horrible crime that can ruin a person's life. Remember, this is not a drunk college student who sexually assaults a coed at a frat party. This is a man who was elected to the preidency of an advanced and democratic nation. Beilin, the only person who suffered enough is the victim.

Beilin is one of the causes that there is no peace in the Middle east. He got the title by engineering the stupid Oslo understanding. Do not worry about Beilin or the Israeli left. They areout of touch with the people and out of business in the Knesset.