The police found out that Katsav has been taking advantage of his power and forcing women to have sex with him, not only during the presidency but years earlier when serving as a cabinet minister. Police investigators argue his behavior was systematic.

It is now in the hands of the Attorney General (AG) to decide whether the investigation is solid enough to turn the evidence into charges and bring the president to court.

In recent years the number of cases of sexual harassment involving politicians, businessmen, lawyers, officials and military personal has risen. The general public's, and especially women's, awareness of this crime is growing.

The president of the state is important. He is a figurehead without significant daily responsibilities, but he does have ceremonial ones. Katsav is refusing to step down or suspend himself. He is fighting back. With the help of loyal confidants, his lawyer and family members, including his 80-plus-year-old mother, he is trying to smear the character of those who dared testify against him as "women of problematic past."

If he fails and the AG recommends putting him on trial, it is expected that President Katsav will pull out of his sleeve an Israeli politicians' weapon of Doomsday. He will argue his ethnicity has made him a victim.

Katsav was born in Iran and immigrated to Israel as a child. His is a typical Israeli success story; his poor immigrant family made it. Like several politicians before him who found themselves in legal troubles, he may insistently remind the public of where he comes from, even if it has no relevance to the present society.

The truth? Ethnic origins, which played a major role in Israeli society 40 or 30 years ago, have diminished in importance here.