Katsav takes leave of absence, vows to fight to clear his name

A visibly emotional President Moshe Katsav vowed last night that he would not resign following the decision by Attorney General Menachem Mazuz to indict him on a series of charges, including rape and sexual harassment, but swore to leave office should Mazuz actually charge him.

"The law does not demand that I quit. The attorney general does not demand this. I am not prepared to bow to blackmail," Katsav said. But he added: "If he decides [to indict me], I promise to resign."

Instead, the president asked the Knesset to grant him a leave of absence. He pledged not to succumb to calls for his resignation, which he said would be the easy option.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Herzliya Conference delegates that he had no doubt that the president could not continue to serve in his position.

Katsav denied the accusations against him, calling them lies that had reached every home in Israel. "I never hurt any man or any woman," he said. "I did not commit any of the deeds of which I stand accused." He said he would fight the accusations with "every last breath."

The president singled out the media, saying he has survived the past six months and a "media lynch" because he believes in his own innocence, despite a "media court" that has not sought the truth. "I have survived because truth is on my side," he said.

He accused the media of not stopping to consider whether the charges were true. The press had not investigated the veracity of the claims, he said, and had broken every rule of journalistic ethics.

"The charges against me have nothing to do with reality," Katsav said. "When the truth emerges, the citizens of Israel will be shocked."

The president said he had nothing to be ashamed of, but rather that the media should be ashamed of the campaign it waged against him, which began with a condemnation of his appointment as president in 2000.

Katsav urged Israelis not to believe the accusations, saying that there was only one truth. He called the charges lies and a slur against his name, and blasted what he called "unprecedented attacks" on himself and his family.

Earlier yesterday, the president informed Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik that he planned to declare himself temporarily incapacitated. Knesset House Committee chair Ruhama Avraham said the panel would meet today to vote on the president's request.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Public Security Minister Avi Dichter joined the calls for the president to step down.

On Tuesday, Mazuz decided Katsav would face charges for rape, sexual harassment, obstruction of justice, fraud and breach of trust, pending a hearing on the issue.

If Katsav's request is approved, the three-month period of incapacity will end once a final decision is made on the indictment. This will happen after Katsav presents his case at a hearing.

The president and his defense attorneys believe a hearing is unlikely to affect Mazuz' decision to indict. At a press conference Tuesday, however, Katsav's attorneys emphasized that they thought the attorney general would change his mind.

Katsav, who says he is innocent of the charges, has consistently accused his accusers of conspiring against him.

Katsav was informed of Mazuz's decision in a meeting with his lawyers, after the Justice Ministry gave Attorney David Libai a three-page letter detailing the charges. No indictment was attached.

Libai has asked Mazuz to send him the investigation material so he can assess how much time he needs to prepare for the hearing. The material includes testimony by more than 100 witnesses.

The four women whom Katsav is accused of sexually assaulting include three past and present employees of the President's Residence, and one who worked for Katsav during his tenure as tourism minister, from 1998 to 1999. Mazuz also plans to charge the president with giving away items that belonged to the President's Residence, as well as with obstruction of justice and harassing a witness, for trying to pressure one of the President's Residence employees to retract her complaint.

Should Katsav be convicted of all the charges in the draft indictment, he is likely to spend many years in jail. Courts do not generally impose the maximum sentences permitted by law, and they often allow sentences for different crimes to be served simultaneously rather than consecutively. But given the severity of the charges - rape alone carries a maximum sentence of 16 years - it is extremely unlikely that any court would make do with community service or a suspended sentence.

Legal sources said Mazuz would not agree to a plea bargain under which Katsav would resign in exchange for the dropping of the charges against him.