In the US, is it likely that he would have been convicted of fraud instead?
Would it even be a crime in the US?
Kareem
1744
Since this is now a catch-all Israel thread…
You should watch the video here:
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100718/FOREIGN/707179891/0/FRONTPAGE
Taken without Netanyahu’s knowledge as Ariel Sharon’s government was gearing up for the attack on the West Bank that sparked the second intifada, shortly before he became finance minister, talking about the period when he was Prime Minister in the 1990s. He admits to deceiving Bill Clinton about his implementation of measures of the Oslo peace accords, talks about the US being easily swayed and how its high levels of support for Israel are absurd. Netanyahu really cannot distance himself from the extremist right that he claims he needs to placate. He is one of them.
No, of course it wouldn’t be. If lying about yourself to get laid is a crime, I think our prison overcrowding problems would get even more out of hand.
In any case, nice work Israel, really proving what a free country you are!
Sure, under Jim Crow. But I expect they would skip the bullshit “by deception” part.
If it was, police should be staking out every bar in America. I’m rich. I’m single. I’m a doctor. I’m an airline pilot. I saved orphans from a fire. You’re beautiful. I totally respect you. What do you want for breakfast?
Jag
1748
It is a ridiculous verdict, but apparently there have been a number of prior rape convictions of Israelis under the same statute. Apparently some states in the US do have this law on their books, but most states have struck it down, most recently in MA.
The always excellent Marc Randazza has more on this issue in the US.
It is a ridiculous verdict, but apparently there have been a number of prior rape convictions of Israelis under the same statute.
Really? What exactly was the crime?
If this had been a Jew convicted for rape in Saudi Arabia for calling himself Ahmed…
I don’t think he’s endorsing the convictions or the logic behind these kinds of laws, but rather making a comment about precedents. In the US case where the guy pretended to be a gynecologist in order to, well, you know, you can see where that might inspire someone to come up with deeply flawed legislation that would probably better be addressed by looking at laws about impersonating doctors and adding to them if necessary. In the case of the brother pretending to be his brother in a darkened room, I don’t know what to say except that would likely be a terribly unusual place to use a starting point for something so broadly applicable.
I don’t think the Israelis have bothered to give any reasons rather than sticking to the technicalities to ignore the obvious racism in that kind of conviction, but I’d be curious to see if the law there has a different origin than just preserving the race.
Jag
1751
According to this article in Haaretz:
In 2008, the High Court of Justice set a precedent on rape by deception, rejecting an appeal of the rape conviction by Zvi Sleiman, who impersonated a senior official in the Housing Ministry whose wife worked in the National Insurance Institute. Sleiman told women he would get them an apartment and increased NII payments if they would sleep with him.
Previously the law provided for a conviction under fraud. Rape is a relatively new charge and has a number of supportersin the US as well. (feminist law profs support it, really?)
Also from the original Telegraph article:
Gideon Levy, a leading liberal commentator, said: “I would like to raise only one question with the judge. What if this guy had been a Jew who pretended to be a Muslim and had sex with a Muslim woman. Would he have been convicted of rape? The answer is: of course not.”
In a Muslim country, he would not have been convicted of rape. The woman would have been stoned to death for adultery.
Johan_O
1752
Perhaps by the Saudis, the Talibans or the Iranians. In Turkey she wouldn’t, not all muslim countries have such draconian ‘morality’ laws. But what does that have to do with anything?
I’m going to guess it’s a justification for why the Israelis have special laws regarding sex w/ dirty muslins, or maybe a terrible joke.
The quoted example is not racially based, so not really relevant.
In a Muslim country, he would not have been convicted of rape. The woman would have been stoned to death for adultery.
Not sure what this bizarrre over-generalization achieves. Also you need to be married to commit adultery…
I wonder if the same law would convict a black man of raping a white woman if he whitened his skin and didn’t tell her?
Lum
1755
The whole thing sounds like a letter to Penthouse Forum to me. He introduced himself as Daniel and they immediately went upstairs to a nearby building and had sex? Clearly I need to change my name.
Jag
1756
The point is the law doesn’t appear to be racially based as some have implied.
The man was married, under Sharia law (I should have been more specific), they both would have been stoned or lashed or lashed and then stoned.
Kareem
1757
Can you stop repeating this given that, you know, it’s patently false and only Saudi Arabia still has the occasional case of legal stoning, a punishment that is not even proscribed in the Quran?
Kalle
1758
Iran too. Not that this has anything to do with the racism inherant in sentancing a man to prison for misrepresenting his ethnicity when he wanted to get laid.
Kareem
1759
Iran has had a moratorium for a few years on stoning and is attempting to repeal stoning as a punishment through parliament.
EDIT: But you’re right, I don’t know how a man being sentenced to prison in Israel for pretending to be Jewish has turned into a referendum on Shariah law.
Flowers
1760
Umm, no shit. I don’t want to pierce the veil, but your name is sooooooo not the name of somebody who gets fucked after ten minutes of talking. Might I suggest something vaguely Mediterranean?
Alejandro.
