Last update - 00:00 26/10/2006
Katsav stops performing many official presidential activities
By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent
Despite statements to the contrary, President Moshe Katsav has recently curtailed his official activities, Haaretz has learned.
A few weeks ago Katsav stopped the main activities he was involved in during his term in office, such as setting up the World Jewish Forum and the President's Residence's study groups on Bible, Diaspora and archaeology.
Sources in the President's Residence confirmed Wednesday that Katsav had decided not to take part in events unless he was obliged to and that he and his wife had stopped appearing in public altogether, except when their presence was required by protocol.
Until now Katsav has rejected all the demands to suspend himself until the attorney general decided whether to indict him for raping his former secretary.
Katsav refrained from swearing in Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch and canceled his participation in the Knesset's winter session opening ceremony. However, since the beginning of the affair, "business as usual" has been his formal stance.
Katsav is considered an active president compared to his predecessors and usually had several daily events listed in his weekly diary.
However, this week only two events were listed in the diary: the state rally to commemorate former minister Rehavam Ze'evi on Sunday and watching the Moiseyev Ballet performance at a ceremony marking 15 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Israel, on Monday.
Katsav also appears to have completely withdrawn from the major initiative he had been involved in this year - setting up a forum with leading Jewish intellectuals, community leaders and great philanthropists.
The World Jewish Forum was intended to formulate ways of reducing the assimilation of Jews in the Diaspora and initiating free Jewish education for every Jewish child from kindergarten to adulthood.
The first meeting of the forum was set for the beginning of 2007, and it was intended as a showcase for the close of his presidency.
Katsav was deeply involved in organizing the event, whose preparation meetings were held in his office.
The forum's foundation coordinator, Prof. Uzi Arad, said Wednesday that the president's curtailed involvement had no effect on the preparation for the event apart from postponing the first meeting, which will probably be held during the next year.
Two of the study groups that Katsav initiated at the President's Residence interested him especially - archaeoloy and Diaspora Jewry.
Dozens of guests were invited to the study groups' meetings, which were held several times a year. The last meeting of the Diaspora group was held in May, two months before the affair of Katsav and his secretary erupted.