Last update - 00:00 23/12/2007
Women's groups petition court to rule again on Ramon ministerial post
By Ruth Sinai, Haaretz Correspondent
17 women's organizations on Sunday petitioned the High Court to reconsider a request to dismiss Vice Premier Haim Ramon from his ministerial post.
The court rejected the request two weeks ago, in which the petitioners had argued that Ramon's conviction for harassment and indecent behavior should preclude his serving as a cabinet minister.
The women's groups asked on Sunday for a new ruling by an expanded bench of seven High Court justices, arguing that the earlier decision by two of the three justices shames the Israeli government.
Organizations including "Sister," The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, "Isha L'Isha" and the Tamorah center, announced through their lawyers that they would not cease legal and protest action until Ramon is removed from his position.
"The fact is that the Knesset and government of Israel respectfully gave a position of honor to a convicted sex offender, because the existing legal and governmental order protects the security of sex offenders and hurts the security of women. For us, as victims of sexual violence, something happened to Israel when senior judges defended a senior sex offender," the organizations stated.
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