Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav has been convicted of raping a former employee.

ISRAEL’S ex-president, 63-year-old Moshe Katsav, was formally charged yesterday with several counts of rape, sexual harassment and an indecent act, the justice ministry said.

An Israeli parliamentary committee today voted unanimously to revoke the privileges of disgraced former president Moshe Katsav, who confessed to sex crimes in a plea bargain last month.

Elder statesman Shimon Peres took office as Israel’s ninth president today at the age of 83, pledging to devote the full seven-year term to realising his lifelong dream of bringing peace to the Middle East, despite the limitations of the largely ceremonial post.

Disgraced former President Moshe Katsav today insisted that he was the victim of a “campaign of incitement” and “false allegations", in his first public comments since signing a plea bargain that spared him a rape trial and possible prison sentence.

Israel’s Supreme Court has ordered the state to justify its plea bargain that dropped rape charges against the former president.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav submitted his letter of resignation today, as part of a much-criticised plea bargain that dropped planned rape charges and the threat of prison.

Israeli president Moshe Katsav has agreed to resign in a controversial plea bargain that drops rape allegations and the threat of jail time in return for admitting lesser charges.

Israeli authorities have decided to drop plans to pursue rape charges against president Moshe Katsav in a surprising plea bargain, Israeli media reported today.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav’s lawyers made a last-ditch effort today to stave off an indictment on rape and other sexual assault charges at a hearing before Israel’s top prosecutor.

Israel celebrated its 59th independence day today with millions enjoying barbecues in gardens and parks while lamenting rising corruption and the depressing after-effects of the summer’s inconclusive war in Lebanon.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav has been notified that a draft indictment being prepared by Attorney General Meni Mazuz may include a second rape charge, the Israeli Justice Ministry said.

A parliamentary panel today debated whether to take the unprecedented step to oust Israel’s president who faces charges of rape and other sexual offences.

ISRAELI prime minister Ehud Olmert and president Moshe Katsav are both facing possible criminal charges for separate crimes, officials reported yesterday.

Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and president Moshe Katsav are both facing possible criminal charges for separate crimes, officials reported today.

Israel’s attorney general has told President Moshe Katsav to move out of his official residence in Jerusalem while he takes a leave of absence to fight off accusations that he committed rape and other crimes.

ISRAEL’S embattled president gave up his powers temporarily yesterday, but dozens of lawmakers vowed to have him dismissed so he could face a raft of sexual assault charges, including rape.

Israel’s embattled president gave up his powers temporarily today, but dozens of lawmakers vowed to have him dismissed so he could face a raft of sexual assault charges, including rape.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav, who faces rape and other sexual assault charges, stepped aside today after Israeli politicians approved a leave of absence.

Israeli politicians today debated whether to grant temporary leave to embattled President Moshe Katsav, who called impending rape and other sexual assault charges the product of “poisonous, horrible lies”.

Israeli president Moshe Katsav today asked parliament to temporarily remove him from office after Israel’s attorney general recommended that he be indicted on rape and other charges, according to parliamentary spokesman Giora Pordes.

Israel’s politically powerful justice minister today led the growing chorus of calls for President Moshe Katsav to resign over impending charges of rape and abuse of power.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav today came under intense pressure to step down after the attorney general told him he faced charges of rape and abuse of power, the most serious accusations against a top official in Israel’s history.

Israel’s attorney-general today recommended that President Moshe Katsav be indicted on charges of rape and abuse of power, a stunning accusation against the country’s ceremonial head of state.

A defiant Israeli President Moshe Katsav has dismissed a call to step down in the wake of a rape allegation.

Israeli president Moshe Katsav today decided to skip the opening of the autumn session of parliament after police recommended he be indicted on rape charges.

ISRAELI police have recommended that President Moshe Katsav should be charged with rape.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav should be charged with rape, police recommended today, according to Channel 10 TV in Israel.

Israel’s parliament today granted Israeli president Moshe Katsav’s request to temporarily step down in light of a police investigation into accusations he sexually harassed former employees.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav underwent a second day of police questioning today about sexual harassment allegations, while a politician collected signatures to begin the impeachment process.

Israel’s justice minister, a top ally of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, faces possible indictment on sexual harassment charges, in a new blow to a government that emerged politically weakened this week from a 34-day war against Lebanese guerrillas

ISRAELI border police briefly detained a Hamas Cabinet minister yesterday, the first time Israel took into custody a member of the Hamas government since the Islamic militants took power last week.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav today formally chose Ehud Olmert to form Israel’s next government, and Olmert said he would work to quickly put together a coalition that was committed to carrying out his West Bank withdrawal plan.

Israel’s president will ask acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to form a new government after his centrist Kadima Party won last week’s election, a spokeswoman said today.

ISRAEL yesterday took its first steps toward forming a new government widely expected to be led by interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who wants to set the country’s final borders with or without Palestinian agreement.

After declaring victory in Israeli elections, acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Kadima Party said today it would quickly form a broad ruling coalition that will pull out of much of the West Bank and draw Israel’s borders by 2010.

Israel’s president today said he’ll start talking to party leaders next week about forming a coalition, and that he expected a stable government would emerge.

ISRAEL yesterday protested against a plan by Russia to have talks in Moscow with Hamas, the Islamic militant group that swept recent Palestinian elections and whose charter calls for Israel’s destruction.

IN his first policy statement since becoming Israel’s acting prime minister, Ehud Olmert said that he wants to resume final peace talks with the Palestinians and take harsh action against Israeli squatters in the West Bank - a sign the front-runner in Israel’s March 28 election is ready for bold steps to end the conflict.

Ariel Sharon’s main allies launched their election campaign today, saying the prime minister’s new centrist party would push for a final agreement with the Palestinians and the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Polls published today, a day after Ariel Sharon broke away from his hardline Likud party, showed him mustering enough support to return to the prime minister’s seat at the head of a moderate coalition.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said goodbye to the party he helped create more than three decades ago and set out to lead a new, centrist faction, pledging to work for a peace deal with the Palestinians and address Israel’s social and economic ills.

Israel’s parliament decided in a preliminary vote today to dissolve itself, but three more votes are required to clear the way for early elections.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav today gave a lukewarm reception to a compromise to open Gaza’s borders, saying that Israel would have preferred to monitor the crossing directly instead of leaving the job to European monitors.