Though outgoing and suspended President Katzav has been "charged" by the media with rape for the past year, the actual charges involve only sexual harassment.

A plea-bargain agreement is being forged between lawyers in the State Prosecution and those representing Katzav. The deal involves the dropping of all rape charges against the President, and their replacement with much more minor accusations. The testimony of the female employee known only as A., which had been the backbone and main media focus of the case, will be dropped totally from the indictment. Rumors that the testimony was fabricated or substantially untrue abounded in recent months.

Several months ago, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz announced that he was planning to indict Katzav on charges of rape, but that Katzav would have a chance to defend himself at a special hearing. It appears that the hearing did, in fact, have a great impact on the final decision - but Mazuz has been widely attacked for not explaining exactly what caused him to change his decision so drastically.

Menachem Mazuz announced the agreement shortly before noon Thursday, following an abrupt half-hour delay that fueled already-burning media speculation. Calls have been heard for Mazuz to resign because of his about-face. Former Jerusalem Prosecutor Micha Kirsch, for instance, said, "If a doctor told you that you have to have both legs amputated, and then later said that actually what's needed is a toenail treatment, I don't think that doctor would be receiving many patients."

Katzav signed the agreement late Thursday morning, agreeing to resign from the Presidency, be charged with the more minor crimes, and pay a total of 50,000 shekels to two complainants.  He will receive only a suspended sentence, and will not have to enter prison or perform public works.  Complainant A. announced this morning that she would petition against the agreement to the Supreme Court.

Katzav's lawyer Avigdor Feldman said that the President "has agreed to admit to having hugged her and touched her leg, but nothing worse than that.  And we had to basically force him to agree to that, by telling him that if not, he would charged for rape, and that even though he would be acquitted, he would have to go through two years of pure hell first."

Katzav told journalists Thursday that the only reason he agreed to the plea bargain was to save his family more pain. The suspended president added that he felt "lynched" by the media, but expressed confidence that eventually justice would prevail. “I am tired," he said. "My family is wrecked. I don’t have the stamina to face a court battle. So I pleaded guilty to hugging and kissing out of affection."

Under pressure of possible impeachment by the Knesset, President Katzav decided four months ago to suspend himself. In the meanwhile, Shimon Peres has been elected to the office, and will assume the position in mid-July, when Katzav's term ends. Until then, Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik, who has been Acting President in the interim, will be President of Israel.

Explaining why A.'s testimony and charges were erased, Mazuz said, "In some of the versions of what A. testified, difficulties and contradictions were revealed, and these made it difficult to base accurate and reliable findings on them. For many months there have been great doubts regarding the likelihood of sufficiently proving A.'s version...  There is no proof of her charges of rape or something close to rape, but there is evidence of a relationship accompanied by anger, jealousy and ill will."

Reactions
MK Zahava Gal'on (Meretz): "Mazuz has displayed ethical cowardice."

MK Michael Eitan (Likud): "Mazuz's courage and judgement should be admired.  All those who leaked, exaggerated, and fanned the accusations against the President - who in fact was guilty of shameful things - will now use their shameful tactics to jump on Mazuz.  There are ways to criticize him, but one-sided and partial criticism even before the ink on the decision is dry, is not the proper way."

MK Gideon Saar (Likud): "The plea bargain agreement leads to a drop in the public's confidence in the equality of all before the law."

MK Moshe Sharoni (Pensioners Party): "Mazuz's decision proves that I was right in refusing to take part in forcing the President to suspend himself. I regret that it took a full year to reach this decision."

MK Shelly Yechimovitch (Labor): "This will be a big blow against the confidence of women to receive justice vis-a-vis people with power and connections. The police, the Prosecution, and the Attorney General all believe the complainant [in the his-word-against-her-word dispute]. The court should now have the right to hear the sides and decide."