Mahmoud Abbas' Aide Involved in Sex Scandal

The corruption of Fatah, the faction presiding over the West Bank Palestinian government under Israeli occupation, is notorious. The 'president' - his term expired in January 2009 - has stolen money from aid appropriated to Palestinians and used it, in part, to throw his equally corrupt and vapid son a $100,000 wedding. His son has used his father's position in an effort to secure business contracts, including an Israeli-provided new mobile network line.

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Mohammed Dahlan, the unofficial deputy of Abbas and the chief collaborator, which to be publicly humiliated by the late 'Arafat by, for instance, slaps - literally slaps - and was sidelined until 'Arafat died and has since then successfully embarked on a retrenchment of power. Dahlan is the head of the American-trained Palestinian security forces and he claims a fortune of roughly $120million despite the fact that he has no business or investment venture to speak off. Simply, he is a thief.

And on and on and on in the corruption and decadence of Fatah. But even this is a new low:

A top aide to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas was secretly recorded trying to have sex with a women who came to him seeking help with a family problem. On the video, which was aired — gleefully, we imagine — on Israeli television, the aide, Rafiq Husseini, is seen undressing and talking to the woman, who is off-screen. Husseini, who possibly has never had sex before, asks her, "Do I turn off the light or do you? What is the procedure?"

The footage was secretly recorded by a former Palestinian intelligence officer, Fahmi Shabaneh, in cooperation with the harassed woman. The woman has complained to Fahmi about constant sexual coming ons by Husseini whenever she requested consistuent services in his office. And the two decided that they would document evidence of such abuse by placing a hidden camera and then release it to the public.

The footage has caused an uproar in Palestine and the independent Ma'an news agency has called for Husseini's resignation. Abbas is traveling in Asia and cannot be reached for comment while the Palestinian Authority has issued only a timid response.

Husseini is expected to present his case to Palestinian television shortly. Will update then.

But how comical is this? And before any anti-Palestinian bigot uses Husseini's abhorrent behavior as somehow reflective of Arab/Muslim sexual impulses and disrespect for women; know this:

Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav is to be charged with rape nearly two years after he resigned as part of a plea bargain.

Katsav will face several serious charges, including two counts of raping a woman who worked at the Israeli tourism ministry when Katsav was tourism minister in the late 1990s, Israel's justice ministry said.

He will also face lesser charges involving two other women, including a charge of obstruction of justice. Reports said evidence from six other women would also be heard.

Katsav resigned as president in 2007 two weeks before his seven-year term expired. His departure was part of a plea bargain under which he would have admitted lesser charges of sexual harassment but would not have faced imprisonment.

Prosecutors on Sunday filed an indictment against Capt. Erez Efrati, an Israel Defense Forces security guard accused of trying to rape and sexually assault a 22-year-old woman last month in Tel Aviv.

The charges against Efrati include attempted sexual assault, attempted aggravated rape and inflicting grievous bodily harm.

And let's not forget the Israeli rape of Palestinian land.

At the end of the day, the woman was not forced into sex and she outsmarted Husseini (which reminds me of a story in 'The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night' titled 'A Woman's Trick'.) The Palestinian leadership, or rather the corrupt Palestinian leadership, is mortified and the Palestinian press has called for his stepping down or firing; which will likely happen.

At the end of the day the hero in this is the honorable lay Palestinian.