That's how Mishy Harman describes the conviction of former President Moshe Katsav for rape and sexual misconduct, whose sentence came down last week:
[T]he ruling has dominated public discourse, relegating even the [International Atomic Energy Agency]’s recent report on the Iranian nuclear program to the back pages … [Katsav's verdict] epitomizes the demise of the public’s faith in the presidency, and it breeds further disdain toward the country’s impoverished public sphere more broadly. Those who abuse their office do not only disgrace themselves, they erode the power of subsequent holders of their position to act honestly on Israel’s behalf. And perhaps even more significantly, they send a message to the country’s youth that politics is a loathsome calling, the realm of those who criminally use power for their own benefit.
Stewart Weiss draws parallels between the culture among Israel's political class and Penn State coaches.
(Photo: Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav arrives at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem for the reading of his sentence after appealing his conviction for rape and other sexual assault charges on November 10, 2011. Israel's Supreme Court rejected an appeal lodged by former president Moshe Katsav against his conviction on charges of rape and other sexual offences, and upheld his seven-year prison sentence. By Uriel Sinai/AFP/Getty Images.)
The Dish 
