Committee expected to okay Katsav 'temporary incapacity' leave

The Knesset House Committee is expected on Wednesday to approve a request by President Moshe Katsav to take a 16-hour leave of absence due to "temporary incapacity." This would mean that Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik would take Katsav's place on Thursday at the swearing-in ceremony for Justice Dorit Beinisch as High Court president.

Sources at the Knesset say there is no doubt the request will be approved, as indicated by the preparations for the ceremony underway at the Knesset since Tuesday.

The ceremony will begin at 4:30 P.M. in the presence of the High Court justices and 150 guests. The outgoing High Court president, Aharon Barak, will deliver an address, as will Beinisch and Itzik.

A Haaretz poll of the 24 members of the House Committee revealed that the representatives of the Ultra-Orthodox and Arab parties, along with Shas and the National Union-National Religious Party, plan to approve the leave. MKs Yoram Marciano and Nadia Hilou (Labor), Zahava Gal-On (Meretz) and Yitzhak Galanti (Pensioners) are expected to vote against it.

Committee chair MK Ruhama Avraham (Kadima), who returned from abroad especially to chair the proceedings, will open the meeting by reading aloud a letter from Katsav.

"I have reached the conclusion," Katsav wrote in the letter, "that in the face of the police investigation it is preferable that I not install the next president of the High Court of Justice. I would like to avoid all conflict at the ceremony." Katsav's lawyer will take part in the discussion following the reading of the letter.

Committee member MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima), with whom Katsav met to discuss his reasons for asking for the leave, said Katsav appeared very sad "but he is determined to fight for his innocence." Hasson said he would be voting for the leave.

The police are to question Katsav on Wednesday for the fifth time in recent weeks on suspicion of sexually assaulting his former secretary and an undisclosed number of other women.