Putin Jokes About Israeli Sex Scandal

Russian President Remarks About Israeli President's Woes At Meeting With PM Ehud Olmert

(AP)  President Vladimir Putin made joking references to the sexual assault accusations against Israeli President Moshe Katsav during a meeting with the visiting Israeli prime minister in remarks that shocked longtime Kremlin-watchers.

A Kremlin spokesman said Friday that Putin's meaning had been lost in translation from Russian to English.

As Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with the Russian leader in an ornate reception room in the Kremlin on Wednesday, reporters overheard Putin tell him: "Say hello to your president. He really surprised us."

The microphones were then cut off, but a member of the Israeli delegation told The Associated Press that Putin went on to say of Katsav: "I met him. He didn't look like a guy who could be with 10 women."

The Israeli ambassador quipped, "It seems like he's envious of him," and Olmert told his host: "I wouldn't envy him," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the press.

Russia's Kommersant daily conveyed a more graphic version of the conversation, quoting Putin as saying: "He turns out to be a really powerful guy! He raped 10 women!" It also quoted Putin himself as saying "We all envy him."

Earlier this week, Israeli police recommended that Katsav be charged with rape, aggravated sexual assault and misconduct after women who once worked for him filed complaints. The 60-year-old has denied any wrongdoing, but the scandal has rocked Israel and sparked calls for his resignation from the largely ceremonial post.

In its story on the Putin-Katsav meeting, Kommersant commented incredulously: "This was one of those moments when you just can't believe your ears."

Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung carried a brief item on Putin's comments at the bottom of page 6, under the headline "Quite a powerful man!"

The item started off with the quote and then mentioned a report by Izvestia, which noted that, while there is no strong women's movement in Russia that likely would issue a reaction, women were unlikely to agree with the sentiment.

In Belgium, the Brussels newspaper Het Laatste Niews ran a story under the headline "Putin jokes about sex scandal of Israeli president."

A headline in the Israeli newspaper Maariv said, "Putin about Katsav: We are all jealous of him."

Deputy Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained away the exchange as a joke.

"In no way can (it) be considered as an approval of raping women or an appreciation of such a potential action," he told the AP.

"Sometimes translation from Russian into English does not reflect the essence of a joke. This was such a case," the Kremlin official said.

Putin has made coarse references before in some of his public remarks.

Early on in his presidency, Putin called for "wiping out Chechen rebels in the outhouse."

He once suggested that a French reporter who had posed an uncomfortable question about abuses against civilians in Chechnya should travel to Russia for a circumcision. "I would recommend that he who does the surgery does it so you'll have nothing growing back, afterward," Putin said.

In June, foreign news executives were taken aback when Putin hit back at a question about whether Russia would favor sanctions against Iran if it failed to stop enriching uranium.

"What if my grandmother had certain sexual attributes?" he snapped, dismissing the question as merely rhetorical. "Then she would be my grandfather."

[cbb1377]

To lestb35:
Maybe this is what Ahmadinejad means when he says Israel will be destroyed, or cease to exist or whatever. These scandals will bring down all free countries, tie us up in knots bickering while they make bombs and amass idealogical power. Freedom lovers, keep your eye on the ball.

Ich bin eine freedom lover, herr lestb35. My eyes are on the ball, and methinks that herr Ahmadinejad is for the destruction of Israel as herr Hitler was for the destruction of the Jewish people.

When a despot threatens to destroy a state, freedom loving peoples should rise up as they did against the likes of Hitler and Himmler.

Advocating the destruction of a state or a people is beyond the pale of civilized peoples.

Charles Bryan Baron I

[lestb35]

Maybe this is what Ahmadinejad means when he says Israel will be destroyed, or cease to exist or whatever. These scandals will bring down all free countries, tie us up in knots bickering while they make bombs and amass idealogical power. Freedom lovers, keep your eye on the ball.

[adian1-2009]

Hey, MINGA, I mean, AGNIM, I just read some other comments of yours. I take back my suggestion to CBS regarding your "funny" comment regarding "one lawyer less". Now I see that you not only think that you are funny. YOU ARE.... a joke.

[laurieleemoo]

okay, well got to go---have a good night all---EXCEPT AGNIM, of course.

[laurieleemoo]

okay the word bleeped out was F-A-G

[laurieleemoo]

cantshutup----You go girl. If I knew where to find him, maybe you could also find a stingray and MAKE HIM SIT ON IT. Maybe then the pathetic soul would be put out of his misery. I think he must be the one that is a "***"---he definitely sounds like a woman hater to me.

[cantshutup]

laurieleemoo...you are right...I apologize to the pigs of the world!...you should read this dirtbags comments on other stories as well...you are right, there are no words to describe him and it's a shame that i can't find him in person to stuff his nasty mouth full of used tampons!

[laurieleemoo]

cantshutup-----You have just insulted the pigs (animals) of the world) ha! ha1 ha!------AGNIM does not possibly compare to a Pig-------HE IS WAY WORSE THAN A PIG-----i think you now owe pigs (the animal) an apology. That was just TOO NICE of a word you called AGNIM---don't you think? I don't know if there is a BAD enough word or name to describe AGNIM.

[laurieleemoo]

Putins remarks DO NOT SUPRISE ME---I've know all along this guy is a poor excuse for a human being. They say he was the head of the "former" KGB. I say he IS the head of the 'still in business' KGB. Fourteen journalist in the past year who have spoken out about he and his goverment have been murdered in the past year. You think WE have a corrupt President--------Well, I think we should be counting our lucky stars we don't have THIS guy as our President.

[cantshutup]

Agnim...you are truly a PIG! I can't believe the stupid *** that you dribbled onto these comments...You sound like a beer swigging, fat, smelly, redneck, slob who spends A LOT of time alone...

[a8m3h]

AND... WHO CARES??????

[agnim]

Men will be men. LOL

The guy who leaked a PRIVATE JOKE is likely a sissy or a f@g!

And don't get your panties in a bunch, Bostom. Every month women have more to really stink; so you should really know about 'stink', right?

Moreover
It's not like the ***** Israeli president is going to 'gett off' any charges (pun intended). LOL

[boston1954]

Well, that is your basic male attitude. Women are saying that they have been violated and it becomes a joke. MEN STINK!!!

[bluestardad]

Maybe we need Congress to introduce to him Mr. Foley's Page Probe Soap on a Rope?

[fallngempire]

Oh seriously now come on. It is highly unlikely Putin said what is claimed in this article. He's a man, with the inherent sexual bias that comes with being a man, but to read too deeply into political locker room talk is absurd. LBJ was famous for talking about how big his "package" was, and THAT never made the headlines.

Let it go. We have enough political scandal right here at home on our plate already.