Israeli Cabinet, money, guns, lawyers, sex ...business as usual

Haim Ramon, Justice Minister and a close ally of Prime Minister Olmert, who played a pivotal role in the founding of Kadima as a breakaway from Likud was in his office minutes before the Cabinet started that day , and he was visited by a female soldier in his office. In August when allegations surfaced Ramon admitted forcibly kissing her , but not indecent assault. He claimed the kiss was the outcome of a flirtation initiated by her.

Ramon was found guilty in January and the court has now given him 120 hours of community service and fined 15,000 NIS (£1,800) for kissing a female soldier.

The conviction could have carried a sentence of three years and the prosecution had asked for a suspended jail sentence for Ramon

The court declined to qualify his crime as one of "moral depravity" or "moral turpitude", which would of course bar him from entry to the USand also from Parliament or teh Cabinet . His rapid return to the Cabinet is expected and there is speculation he will return to replace Finance Minister, Abraham Hirchson if he gives in to public pressure and resigns due to the police investigation of his financial dealings.

Dr. Dana Pugach, director of the Noga Center for Victims of Crime in the Kiryat Ono Academic College, slammed the court's ruling. "Attempting to save Ramon's career, the court invented a sexual offense without moral turpitude - something that doesn't exist - and conveyed the wrong message to the public by giving Ramon's acts a public and moral seal of approval," she said.