Former Israeli president on trial on sex charges

Israel’s former president Moshe Katzav was due to appear in court on sexual-harassment charges on Tuesday, becoming the country’s first former head of state to go on trial.

The Jerusalem District Court set the hearing after rejecting a postponement request by Katzav’s lawyers, who claim they were not given full access to prosecution documents.

Following a deal with the prosecution, Katzav was set to plead guilty to some of the accusations made by several women, who accuse him of abusing his position to sexually harass employees.

In February the Supreme Court approved the plea bargain under which the former president will be tried for sexual harassment, indecent acts and suborning a witness, but not for rape.

The 62-year-old father of five could face prison and have to pay compensation to two plaintiffs.

The compromise deal has angered women’s rights groups in Israel, who claimed in a statement that it amounted to “abandoning all victims of sexual aggression to their fate”.

Katzav was forced to resign in June 2007 after the allegations became public.

He was the second Israeli head of state to be forced out of the largely ceremonial office by scandal.

His predecessor, the late Ezer Weizman, had to resign in 2000 after revelations that he received about $450 000 from a French millionaire while a minister and an MP.—AFP