News Brief10:03 AM

(IsraelNN.com) Israel's Supreme Court has upheld the plea bargain reached by former President Moshe Katzav, rejecting six petitions against the motion, as well as the position of Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch.

The majority opinion of the court agreed that there were faults in the plea bargain, but did not find sufficient reason to nullify it, as it was a decision of Attorney General Menachem Mazuz. The plea bargain includes one count of indecent assault involving pressure and one of sexual harassment. Chief Justice Beinisch, who was outvoted, called for the plea bargain to be overturned.

Katzav has maintained his innocence in the face of leaks of alleged rape charges, but agreed to a plea bargain, he says, to spare his family any further heartache.