He raped women when he was Minister of Tourism. Between trips abroad, promoting tourism for Israel, thinking up campaigns to bring tourists to the holy sites, fighting for his ministry’s budget, between all that – Katsav had one thing on his mind: “Man, that secretary is fine! I gotta get a piece of that!”.

He sexually harassed women when he was President of Israel. Citizen Number One. Between shaking the hands of prime ministers and kings, accepting letters of credential from new ambassadors, sitting shiva with families of terror attack victims, between all that – Katsav had one thing on his mind: “Man, my personal assistant is hot! I wonder if I can do her in my office!”

When the judges found him guilty a few months ago, they used harsh words. Which is why I thought they’d be hard with him now with the sentencing, too. But others thought they’d go easy on him, because after all, he was president once.

And when I mean hard, I mean what a rapist would usually get. Eight years would be considered severe here in Israel. Easy would be around four.

He got seven. Seven years for causing eternal damage. To numerous women.

But hey, what should I expect from the Israeli justice system, that just to weeks ago handed down a fine of 1,000 shekels to a drunk driver who seriously injured a young girl and crippled her for life, turning her into a vegetable.
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But still, one has to say something about her notorious geographical skills. Apparently, she was on her way to Bethlehem today, only to turn around at an IDF checkpoint because she didn’t know it was in occupied territory.

I even heard that after dinner with Netanyahu last night, she told reporters she could see Iran from his balcony.
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Oops, we killed an 11 year old and 16 year old. Sorry!
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Trespassing my way home

Work is finally over. As I drive back home through Jaffa, I can’t help shake the feeling I get every time I drive through – I feel like a tresspasser.

On the radio they’re playing Hadag Nachash. Although I’m agnostic, I do thank God for Hadag Nachash. They’re basically the only guys in this place doing protest music. The song is “I believe”. Here are a few lines:

“I believe that as of today
our responsibility for not achieving peace
is great and significant just as much
as all our neighboring countries
and I also believe that we’re going around in circles
that there’s no chance that another war will help
and that all the talk on fighting terror
is just to impress the enlightened world
I believe we should invest in education
That our priorities should be just the opposite
that the executive salaries are outrageous
that the Kirya should be moved
I believe there’s no equality here
that the racism inside us will bring a disaster
that if we don’t do something, we won’t understand
and we won’t be able to celebrate another 60 years”

But I still felt like I was a visitor in Jaffa.
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Nakba, shmakba

As I write these lines, the Knesset is about to pass two bills which I and my colleagues here have written about extensively on +972. One of them is the bill that will legalize “acceptance committees” in communal settlements in the Galilee and Negev. These committees can say “no” to you if you don’t fit with their “social fabric”, or shall I say, “cramp their style”, or to put it really bluntly – “if you’re Arab. Or gay.”

The other law is the Nakba law, which will bar organizations from receiving public funding if they are “undermining the foundations of the state and contradict its values.”

I’m too tired to think of anything new to say about this. Honestly.
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Those Japs had it coming!

And then, Ynet tells us why the tsunami happened[Heb]. Apparently, according to an important rabbi who goes by the name of Rabbi David Tabersky, it’s because Japan has incarcerated two of his pupils for drug dealing. “The Japanese don’t get why they’re being hit again and again. If they want this to stop, they should free the two boys jailed there, and then they will see salvation.”

What a day…