Moshe Katsav
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{{Infobox_President
| name =Moshe Katsav <br> משה קצב <br> موسى قصاب
| nationality =Israeli
| image =Moshe Katsav, by Amir Gilad.JPG
| caption =
| order =8th [[President of Israel|President of the State of Israel]]
| term_start =[[August 1]], [[2000]]
| term_end =[[July 1]] [[2007]]
| predecessor =[[Ezer Weizman]]
| successor =[[Shimon Peres]]
| birth_date ={{birth date and age|1945|12|05}}
| birth_place =[[Yazd]], [[Iran]]
| death_date =
| death_place =
| constituency =
| party =[[Likud]]
| spouse =[[Gila Katsav]]
| profession =
| religion =[[Judaism]]
| signature =
|}}
'''Moshe Katsav''' ({{lang-he|משה קצב}}) on [[5 December]] [[1945]]) is a former [[President of Israel]] and member of the [[Knesset]]. The end of his term of President was marked by controversy, and from [[25 January]] [[2007]] until his resignation on [[1 July]] [[2007]], he was on a [[leave of absence]] amid impending charges of crimes stemming from his alleged [[rape]] of one female subordinate which was later dropped, as well as the sexual harassment of others.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/31/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-President.php President Katsav told to leave official residence in Jerusalem following leave of absence] Associated Press, 31 January 2007</ref><ref name="bousso">{{cite news
| first = Ron
| last = Bousso
| url = http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070125/en_afp/israelpoliticsjustice_070125155340
| title = Israel's bland president Katsav facing disgrace
| publisher = AFP (via ''Yahoo! News'')
| date = [[25 January]] [[2007]]
| accessdate = 2007-01-25
}}</ref>
== Personal life ==
Moshe Katsav was born in [[Yazd]], [[Iran]]. His [[family]] brought him to [[Tehran]] when he was an infant; in June [[1951]], when he was 5, they [[aliyah|emigrated to Israel]]. He remains fluent in the [[Persian language]]. Upon arriving in Israel, the Katsav family was ultimately dispatched to an immigrant tent-camp in Israel's south, inland from the port city of [[Ashdod]]. In the winter of 1951, severe [[flooding]] inundated the camp, and Katsav's two-month old brother, Zion, was killed. Young Katsav and his family lived in a tent in the transit camp for two years. They then spent an additional four years in a temporary hut. By then, the transit camp in which the Katsavs had been living had been transformed into the "development town" of [[Kiryat Mal'akhi]].
Katsav attended the [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem]] beginning in 1968, and while studying he taught [[history]] and [[mathematics]] in a high school. He graduated in 1971 with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in economics and history.
He has been married to his wife, [[Gila Katsav|Gila]], since 1969. The couple have five children and two grandchildren. After a 30-year career in banking, Katsav's wife has devoted herself to charity and volunteer work, especially in groups fighting [[domestic violence]] and promoting [[women's rights]], and providing aid and services to disabled children and children from disadvantaged homes.
==Political career==
Katsav joined the [[Likud]] party and at the young age of 24 was elected the mayor of [[Kiryat Mal'akhi]], the small town in which he was raised. He was subsequently elected as a Member of the [[Knesset]] in 1977. During his time in the Knesset, Prime Minister [[Menachem Begin]] sent Katsav to Iran twice to encourage the Jews there to immigrate to Israel.
Under the governments of Begin and [[Yitzhak Shamir]], Katsav served as the deputy Minister of Construction and Housing (1981-83). He then served as the Minister of Labor and Welfare during the National Unity Government which served in the years 1984-88. During 1988-92 he served as the [[Transportation Minister of Israel|Transportation Minister]] under [[Yitzhak Shamir]], and under [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]'s government (1996-1999), he served as [[Deputy leaders of Israel#Deputy Prime Minister|Deputy Prime Minister]] and [[Tourism Minister of Israel|Minister of Tourism]].
The public positions filled by Moshe Katsav include the following: Chairman of the Iranian Immigrants Organization; Chairman of the commission to determine higher education tuition; and Member of [[Ben-Gurion University of the Negev|Ben-Gurion University]] Board of Trustees. In addition, he received an honorary doctorate from the [[University of Nebraska]], Omaha.
[[Image:Honorkatzav.jpg|thumb|230px|right|President Moshe Katsav accompanied by [[Knesset]] Speaker [[Avraham Burg]] reviewing [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]] honor guard at the swearing-in ceremony of Katsav in the Knesset.]]
==Presidency==
After serving as Deputy Prime Minister in Netanyahu's government, Katsav vied for the position of President, running as the opposition candidate against [[Shimon Peres]]. In a surprising upset, he defeated Peres to become the president of Israel, being [[Israeli presidential election, 2000|elected by the Knesset on July 31, 2000]]. He took 63 votes (over 57 for Peres), two more than the required majority of 61, and was sworn in on [[August 1]]. He is the first President of Israel to have been sworn in for a seven-year term, as well as the first candidate from the right wing Likud party to be elected to the office. Katsav is the second non-[[Ashkenazi]] president and the first president to have been born in an Islamic country.
The office of the [[President of Israel|Israeli President]] is largely ceremonial, with no executive powers save [[pardon]]ing prisoners and commuting sentences. Nevertheless, each president emphasizes different aspects of the role during his tenure. Katsav supported the unsuccessful 2002 cease-fire plan between Israel and the [[Palestinian people|Palestinians]] (rejected by then Prime Minister [[Ariel Sharon]]) and refused to pardon [[Yigal Amir]], the convicted murderer of Prime Minister [[Yitzhak Rabin]].
On [[April 8]], [[2005]], the alphabetic ordering of leaders during the [[Funeral of Pope John Paul II|funeral]] of [[Pope John Paul II]] resulted in Katsav sitting near [[President of Iran|Iranian President]] [[Mohammad Khatami]] (also born in Yazd). Katsav told the press that he shook Khatami's hand and spoke to him in [[Persian language|Persian]]. Khatami later denied this.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20050413074741/http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050409/wl_nm/pope_iran_handshake_dc_1 Iran's Khatami Denies Handshake with Israeli Leader]</ref>
=== 2006 rape and sexual harassment charges ===
In [[July 2006]] Katsav complained to the [[Attorney General of Israel]], [[Menahem Mazuz]], that he was being blackmailed by one of his female employees.<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1150885966462 "A-G orders Katsav investigation"], ''[[Jerusalem Post]]'', [[July 11]], [[2006]]</ref> The investigation quickly turned against Katsav as the employee, referred to as ''A.'', alleged sexual offences.<ref name=IHTplea/> The eventual allegations asserted that Katsav had [[sexual harassment|sexually harassed]] up to 10 women, including the first woman's charge of rape.
On [[August 22]], Katsav's house was raided by police who seized computers and documents. There were calls for him to resign or suspend himself from the presidency. This came only days after Justice Minister [[Haim Ramon]]'s resignation after police investigation, also over alleged sexual harassment, had led [[Haim Ramon#Indecent conduct and resignation|to Ramon's indictment]].<ref>[http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/753547.html Police question Katsav; evidence said 'dramatic'] - ''[[Haaretz]]'', [[August 23]], [[2006]]</ref> Katsav was questioned on [[August 23]] ("under warning") by police in connection with the accusations of sexual harassment and [[Political corruption|corruption]], including A.'s rape charge.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2325188,00.html Police question Israeli President over sex allegations], ''[[The Times]]'', [[August 23]], [[2006]]</ref>
On [[September 7]], after concluding the fourth investigation into the matter, and having received complaints from at least four different women (according to [[Israel Broadcasting Authority|IBA]]'s correspondent for police affairs), the [[Israel Police]] "carefully" determined that they had evidentiary basis for an indictment. On that day, the Judges' Election Committee unanimously approved the appointment of [[Dorit Beinisch]], a woman, as president of the [[Supreme Court of Israel]]. Katsav refrained from attending, "to prevent dispute".<ref>{{he icon}} [http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=31&ar=tvhayom Today in the news], ''[[Israel Broadcasting Authority|IBA]]'', [[September 7]], [[2006]]</ref>
On [[September 13]], the Knesset's House Committee approved Katsav's request for a day's leave of absence so that he could refrain from attending and presiding over Beinisch's formal swearing-in ceremony, normally held in the presidential compound, now to be held in the Knesset.<ref>{{cite news |first=Gideon |last=Alon |coauthors=Jonathan Lis, Mijal Grinberg |title=Katsav takes short leave of absence; probe turns to wire-tapping |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/762306.html |publisher=[[Haaretz]] |date=2006-09-14 |accessdate=2007-01-26 |quote=The Knesset House Committee on Wednesday approved by a 12-6 majority, with three abstentions, Katsav's request for the 16-hour leave, billed as "temporary incapacity," to enable Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik to replace him at Thursday's swearing-in ceremony of Justice Dorit Beinisch as Supreme Court president. }}</ref> The Committee's chairwoman, [[Ruhama Avraham]], did, however, advise Katsav to opt for a more lengthy leave.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5343532.stm Katsav avoids ceremonial duties]", ''[[BBC]]'', [[September 13]], [[2006]]</ref>
Katsav was interviewed by police for the fifth time, from 10:00 am till at least 7:00 pm. Police confirmed that seven women had by then testified against Katsav, and that the allegations now also included "breach of trust, fraud, and involvement in illegal wiretapping".<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1157913624624&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull "Katsav allegations include wiretapping"], ''[[Jerusalem Post]]'', [[September 14]], [[2006]]</ref>
Speaking on the case for the first time, on [[September 18]], Israel's [[Attorney General]], [[Menachem Mazuz]], stated in an interview that the likelihood of Katsav's claim that he had been made the victim of a plot was "fairly slim," given the "long line of women who complained against him." <ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1157913655553&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull "Mazuz says Katsav was not made victim of libel"], ''[[Jerusalem Post]]'', [[September 18]], [[2006]]</ref><ref>[http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/764389.html "Katzav's investigation is at completion stages"], ''[[Haaretz]]'', [[September 19]], [[2006]]</ref> By September 21, the number of women accusing Katsav of sexual assault had risen to eight.<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/765549.html "Eighth allegation of sexual assault filed against Katsav"], ''[[Haaretz]]'', [[September 21]], [[2006]]</ref>
On [[October 15]], [[2006]], police recommended pursuing rape and sexual harassment charges against Katsav. Complaints by five of the women would not be pursued because the [[statute of limitations]] had run out.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/15/AR2006101500301.html "Rape Charge Advised Vs. Israel President"], ''[[The Washington Post]]'', [[October 15]], [[2006]]</ref> On [[October 16]], ''[[Haaretz]]'' reported that Mazuz was expected to adopt most of the police's recommendations and indict the president.<ref>[http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/774901.html "Mazuz anticipated to adopt most of the police's recommendations and indict the president"], ''[[Haaretz]]'', [[October 16]], [[2006]] {{he icon}}</ref>
On [[October 29]], [[2006]], Katsav was advised by Israel's attorney general, Menachem Mazuz, to step down from his presidential duties and suspend himself as long as the possibility of his indictment remained under consideration. Katsav, who continued to deny the allegations, had announced, via his lawyers, that if indicted he would resign.<ref>[http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-13549364,00.html?f=rss "President must 'step down'"], ''[[Sky News]]'', [[October 29]], [[2006]]</ref><ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16768688/ "Israeli president to be charged with rape"], ''[[MSNBC]]'', [[January 23]] [[2007]]</ref>
====Vladimir Putin incident====
On [[October 19]], [[2006]], Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] was quoted as saying to Israeli [[Prime Minister]] [[Ehud Olmert]] regarding the allegations surrounding Katsav, "Say hello to your president. He really surprised us... turned out to be quite a mighty man. He raped 10 women. I never expected it from him. He surprised all of us. We all envy him."<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.newsru.com/russia/19oct2006/olmert.html
|title=Привет, который Путин передал президенту Израиля, смутил Ольмерта
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}}</ref> In a call-in television program Putin did not deny making the comment but said that "using instruments such as protecting women’s rights to resolve political issues that are unconnected with this problem is absolutely inadmissible. And this is because it actually discredits the struggle for women’s rights". He also criticized the press's eavesdropping on his conversation with Olmert.<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/speeches/2006/10/25/0911_type82915_113064.shtml
|title=Transcript of the Hot Line with President of Russia Vladimir Putin
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===Suspension from office===
On [[January 23]], [[2007]] Attorney-General Mazuz announced that he would consider [[indictment|charging]] Katsav with [[rape]], [[sexual harassment]], [[Fiduciary#Breaches of duty and remedies|breach of trust]], [[obstruction of justice]], [[harassment]] of a witness and [[fraud]]. The president is [[immunity (legal)|immune from prosecution]] while in office, and could only be tried after the end of his term in August 2007 or after his resignation. The final decision on indictment would be made after a hearing where Katsav could present his case. Katsav had declined to resign as president,<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467796563&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull "Israel's top citizen will also be charged with other sex crimes"], ''[[Jerusalem Post]]'', [[January 23]] [[2007]]</ref> but had a three-month leave of absence approved by the [[Knesset]] on [[January 25]]. Parliamentary speaker [[Dalia Itzik]] had assumed the office in the interim in a "caretaker" capacity.<ref name="bousso"/>
===Claims of witchhunt and of conviction by media===
On [[January 24]], [[2007]] Katsav held a press conference wherein he accused journalists of persecuting him and judging him before all the evidence has been presented. He also claimed that the media has been hostile to his presidency ever since he defeated [[Shimon Peres]], quoting an [[Editorial|op-ed]] piece in ''[[The Jerusalem Post]]'' by [[Amotz Asa-El]] which claimed that Katsav's election was "the end of Zionism" and others that compared his election to the [[Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin|Rabin assassination]].<ref>[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467807997&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull 'Comment: Katsav's rending battle cry'], ''[[Jerusalem Post]]'', [[January 25]], [[2007]]; the ''Post'' also reprints the editorial "[http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467809913&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Archive:The End of Zionism]", [[January 25]], [[2007]], reprinted from [[August 1]], [[2000]] </ref>
At one point Katsav got into a heated argument with [[Channel 2 (Israel)|Channel 2]] reporter and news anchor Gadi Sukenik, accusing him and his channel of conducting a [[witch-hunt]]. Katsav declared his intention to suspend himself temporarily in light of the charges of rape and sexual harassment, though he had refused to step down unless he is indicted.
The speech drew shock and condemnation, as well as amazement, from journalists, politicians, and legal figures.<ref>[http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/b8de8e630faf3631/id/225651/cs/1/ "Israeli law professors shocked by Katsav speech"], ''Malaysia Sun'', [[January 25]], [[2007]]</ref> In a talk scheduled minutes after Katsav's speech ended, Prime Minister [[Ehud Olmert]] stated that he should resign from the presidency.
<blockquote>Katsav yesterday delivered the speech of his life. To his great regret, under tragic circumstances. But it was a Shakespearean speech. It is a Shakespearean drama which unveils before your eyes. You occasionally rub your eyes and say: 'wait, am I in a theater or am I sitting on an arm chair at home watching my president, live?' <ref>{{he icon}} "[http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=31&ar=yoman Yoman]", ''[[Israel Broadcasting Authority|IBA]]'', [[January 25]], [[2007]]</ref> — Yisrael Segel, Israeli author and journalist
</blockquote>
===End of term and resignation===
On [[7 March]], [[2007]], Katsav survived an attempt to [[Impeachment|impeach]] him <ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/834443.html President Katsav escapes impeachment over likely rape charges] Haaretz, 7 March 2007</ref> by the Knesset House Committee. His seven-year term was scheduled to run out constitutionally on [[15 July]], [[2007]]. However, in accordance with a plea agreement, he had resigned, effective [[July 1]], [[2007]]. [[Shimon Peres]] was [[Israeli presidential election, 2007|elected to succeed him]] on [[13 June]], [[2007]].
On [[29 June]] [[2007]] at 11:02 <!--am or pm?--> Katsav submitted a letter of resignation. According to the [[Basic Laws of Israel|Basic Law: The President of the State]], the president's resignation came into force 48 hours after the letter's receipt.
===Plea agreement and resolution of legal case===
On [[28 June]] [[2007]], Katsav's lawyers reached a [[plea bargain]] with Israel’s attorney general, [[Menachem Mazuz]]. According to the deal, Katsav would plead guilty to several counts of sexual harassment and indecent acts and receive a suspended jail sentence, and pay compensation to two of his victims. The more serious rape charges brought by the initial employee, A., have been dropped, as well as Katsav's original charges of her blackmailing him.
There was widespread condemnation of this deal among the general public and in particular from organizations devoted to women's rights: opinion polls showed that 70 percent of the public were dissatisfied with the deal<ref name=IHTprotest>{{cite news |title=Thousands flock to Tel Aviv square to demand Israel's president stand trial on rape charges |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/30/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-President.php |publisher=International Herald Tribune |date=[[2007-06-30]] |accessdate=2007-07-01 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3419238,00.html Women's Coalition: Our intifada has begun] Ynet, June 30 2007</ref> and over 20,000 protesters attended a rally against the deal at [[Rabin Square]] in [[Tel Aviv]].<ref name=IHTprotest /> Despite the protests, the attorney general said the agreement would still shame Katsav while sparing humiliation of the office, and that there were in any event problems with the evidence owing to the lengthy timeline; Katsav's attorneys said they accepted the deal to avoid an arduous trial.<ref name=IHTplea>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/06/28/africa/mideast.php President Katsav of Israel to plead guilty to sex crimes but avoid jail] International Herald Tribune, 28 June 2007</ref>
However his neighbors have praised the agreement as showing the maturity of the Israeli legal system after the Attorney General reported that the testimony of A., the principal complainant who had accused Katsav of rape, "...was problematic, self-contradictory, and contradictory of other complainants' testimonies" and "A. describes relations imposed on her by force and refers to two friends whom, she claimed, she told the story to. The police went to her friends in the US and they gave a completely contradictory testimony..".<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/876678.html The view in Katsav's home town: A martyr of sorts] Haaretz, July 1 2007</ref>
On [[October 30]], [[2007]], the State Prosecution told the [[Supreme Court of Israel#High Court of Justice|High Court of Justice]] that it had changed its mind about the indictment on the basis of the evidence from the two key complainants, citing a meeting with Katsav's attorneys that highlighted contradictions within their testimony, including an affectionate letter from one of the complainants after the two alleged rapes would have occurred. The Court will rule on a later date on whether Menahem Mazuz's changed position was warranted. The move garnered harsh criticism from the complainants attorneys.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1192380694016&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull| author=Dan Izenberg| publisher=[[The Jerusalem Post]]| date=[[October 31]], [[2007]]| accessdate=2007-10-31}}</ref>
==External links==
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6054502.stm BBC Profile]
* [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3355982,00.html Katsav to be charged with rape - YnetNews]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY5oYmmGyzE] Moshe Katsav at Press Conference Denying the charges put against him.
* [http://www.omedia.org/Show_Article.asp?DynamicContentID=2431&MenuID=608&ThreadID=1014011 The Katsav Affair: The Legal Facts]
==References==
{{Commons|Moshe Katsav}}
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title=[[President of Israel]]|
before=[[Ezer Weizman]] |
after=[[Shimon Peres]] |
years=2000—2007 |
}}
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{{Israelpres}}
{{Israeli Ministers of Transportation}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katsav, Moshe}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Persian Jews]]
[[Category:People from Yazd]]
[[Category:Iranian immigrants to Israel]]
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[[Category:Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni]]
[[Category:Mayors of places in Israel]]
[[Category:Former Members of the Knesset]]
[[Category:Presidents of Israel]]
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