The real life drama that captivated the Israeli public for over five years has come to an end, Moshe Katsav, the former Israeli president has been convicted of rape.
The most astounding element of this story is not the politician's questionable conduct while in office or his tragic fall from grace but the fact that not a single piece of evidence was produced during this long trial.
Quite simply, a woman shouted rape and told her story which to the courts proved more believable than Katsav's version, and that marked the beginning of the former president's end.
The court has decided that although both testimonies were riddled with lies, the accuser's version sounded more credible.
There was quite astonishingly, no mention of finger prints, DNA, medical examination following the alleged rape, a recording of the alleged rape or even a testimony from an objective witness at the alleged rape scene, and so sadly, what the man's fate boiled down to was his word against hers.
My knowledge of the justice system has lead me to believe that the court had to prove a person's guilt beyond reasonable doubt and I wonder how it is possible without any evidence.
How can a man be sent to eight years in prison based on the court's impressions of his and his accuser's credibility?
"And what is this impression of credibility based on?" ask Israeli lawyers Oren Schwartz and Yogev Narkis, "has the court got a crystal ball which enables it to tell what took place years ago? is a judge's gut feeling enough to determine a person's fate?"
Schwartz and Narkis quote fellow lawyer Avigdor Feldman who poignantly commented that "in a court of law where (defendant and accuser) credibility alone sets the tone, one could make a conviction based on a rape claim from planet Venus."
The details of whether the accuser was in a relationship with the former president or if he indeed abused his power are irrelevant, the only thing relevant is the accusation of a rape for which no evidence was produced. This scenario cannot even lead to a trial, let alone send a man to prison.
Women groups celebrating this so called victory should strip themselves of the vision clouding feminist agenda and demand justice. They, and the public at large should ask themselves why the well publicized tapes of the accuser attempting to blackmail the former president long before he went on trial, were never investigated.
If I were a man I would be very afraid. As a woman I feel ashamed of women's zealous hunt for the abusing man and not the truth. With disbelief declare this a sad day for justice, Israel and the world.