The Tel Aviv Magistrates Court has convicted former Minister of Justice Haim Ramon for non-consensual indecent acts against IDF female soldier H, who worked as a military secretary at the Prime Minister’s Bureau. The judges’ decision was unanimous, and ends Ramon’s chances of getting back the justice portfolio.
Ramon was indicted for non-consensual indecent acts after kissing H. The indictment states that H. asked for a photograph with Ramon as a memento, but that when she tried to leave the room where the picture was taken, Ramon continued to hug her and kissed her.
Ramon said in response that this “was a stolen kiss 2-3 seconds long” initiated by H, and that he broke it off. He said, “The kiss was fully consensual and spontaneous” and was “a natural consequence of the flirtatious conversation and close hug in the photographs.” After they left room, he told H. “We’ll be in touch,” and that she gave him her name and mobile phone number.
The judges ruled that the complainant’s credibility was not in doubt, and that she had no interest in hurting the defendant or slandering him. The act committed was a clear case of misconduct. Testimony by Prime Minister's Bureau Manager Shula Zaken was biased in favor of Ramon.
The judges rejected Ramon’s claim that he had been framed in order to remove him from his portfolio, and said that the claim was preposterous. They said that the claim was shown to be false because the head of the Israel Police investigations unit Maj.-Gen. Yohanan Danino ordered the investigation before he knew which minister was involved. “The preposterousness of the claim, implying that the complainant collaborated with those questioning her and completely fabricated her story in order to frame the minister is utterly and completely baseless,” said the judges.
The Knesset was stunned by Ramon’s conviction. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert watched the reading of verdict on television in his office, together with Minister of Finance Abraham Hirchson. After the verdict, Olmert stayed in his office for a long time. Olmert’s chief of staff Yoram Turbowicz and other officials wandered around stone-faced.
Political sources believe that the unanimous conviction of Ramon has eliminated all of Olmert’s options and he will have to rethink his planned cabinet reshuffle.
Olmert said, “The prime minister deeply regrets the conviction of his friend, former minister Haim Ramon.”
Women’s Lobby in Israel chairwoman Rina Bar-Tal said, “The verdict is a defining event for normative behavior in Israeli society in general and for authority relations in particular. I am pleased that the State of Israel has again demonstrated that it is possible to take pride in the judicial system and in the country’s judges. Today, Israel’s women and Israeli society in general can be assured that there is someone who will protect their rights and fight to bring their justice to light.”
Center for Aid for Victims of Sexual Assault director Tal Kramer-Vadai said, “I was excited by the judges’ ruling. It sends a clear message to all of us, and the message is that there is a difference between wooing, complement and flirting and abuse of authority. Another message is that a kiss is not a romantic act when it is coerced. Filing the complaint for sexual violence when a public person is the defendant is a difficult and courageous choice.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on January 31, 2007
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