1.24.2007

Another Politician, Israeli President, Says He'll Engage Even World War To Clear His Name

Israeli president Katsav makes me sick. And it's not even that this figurehead is accused with rape and abuse of power, since these are indeed just allegations (and indictments) right now and not proven. But to use his language, "even world war if necessary" to clear his name because he is so much more important than... you know... everyone else is another example - like the Bushies haven't given us enough here - of these oh, so self-important politicians who way overstep themselves and then insist everyone else is wrong, and that their "good name" is more important than the people or the country they - in theory - represent.

From The Guardian:

In a nationally televised address denouncing the "poisonous, horrible lies", an increasingly angry Mr Katsav blamed the media for his troubles and said he would "fight to my last breath, even if it means a world war, to clear my name".

"Don't believe the libel, the defamation, the lies. There is only one truth ... I am the target of one of the worst attacks in the history of the state of Israel," he said. "If the attorney general decides on an indictment ... I promise to resign immediately."

At one point, he screamed at a reporter, saying he should be ashamed of himself for his coverage of the scandal. "...

The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, tonight became the highest-ranking politican to call on him to resign.

"Under these circumstances," Mr Olmert said, "there is no doubt in my mind that the president cannot continue to fulfill his position, and he must leave the president's residence."

Mr Katsav has faced growing calls to resign since the attorney general, Meni Mazuz, announced yesterday that he planned to charge the president with a series of crimes stemming from accusations by former female members of his staff that he forced them to have sex with him. He is alleged to have raped one woman and assaulted another.

He should be forced to resign JUST for the comment about world war.

The good people of Israel, and I'm not inclined to count Katsav OR Olmert has one of them, deserve better than this.

We've seen this before, not just with our own crappy politicians, but with Israel's worst and most dangerous dreck like Benjamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon.