The now fading sexual assault charges against former International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn have cast New York law enforcement in an embarrassing light; but they are not the only ones who came out looking a little impetuous. MK Tzipi Livni spoke on a panel in early June at Tel Aviv University on the subject of Israel and the Arab Spring. She was seated next to Strauss-Kahns long-time friend French philosopher Bernard-Henry Levi and Livni decided to steer the panel off course. MK Livni changed the topic of the discussion and opted to attack Levi for his support for the former IMF chief in his non-guilty plea. The Kadima leader told Levi that, "rape is an unacceptable crime and we must be clear on the matter. Before we begin discussing 'the Arab Spring, I have an issue I want to raise. We met earlier and spoke on this issue, but I want to re-emphasize it on stage. We are talking about your stance on the Strauss-Kahn affair and your unclear position on rape as well. Many Israelis got the impression that you are, in fact, supporting something that is immoral and wrong." Cries against Livni's derailment of the discussion came from the audience. Members of government were astonished at Livni's brashness, especially since she appointed a man accused of sexual harassment as the head of Kadima's Council. Levi responded to Livni's words with, "I have fought against rape all my life. Rape is a crime, but I believe in innocent until proven guilty. If Strauss-Kahn is proven guilty, then he should be punished, perhaps even more so than the common man. He is a dear friend of mine, and I know him well. I said I cannot imagine him doing such things. I personally do not know, I am neither a police officer nor a judge, in contrast to the newspapers, who view themselves as such."
