Former Israeli President jailed

A Tel Aviv district court has sentenced former Israeli President Moshe Katsav to seven years in prison on multiple charges of rape and sexual harassment.



The case involved three women, two of whom worked in the president's office and one in the Tourism Ministry.



In late December, the three-judge panel found Katsav guilty of two charges of rape, two charges of forceful sexual harassment and one charge of sexual harassment.



In 2000, the former president had agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges and pay a fine to avoid jail time, but later he pulled out of the plea deal.



Katsav is the first former Israeli head of state to be jailed.