On Thursday, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz reached an agreement with Katsav's lawyers that the two counts of rape would be removed from the indictment. Under Israeli law, the president would have served up to 16 years in prison if convicted of the more serious charges.
The president, whose role is largely ceremonial, has been on leave of absence since the charges were brought against him in January. Under the deal with prosecutors, which has been condemned by his accusers and rights groups, the president will get a suspended sentence and be ordered to pay damages to two of the women he is accused of raping.
Israel Radio said Friday that organizations representing victims of sex crimes planned to hold a rally in central Tel Aviv on Saturday, to demand that the plea bargain be revoked and Katsav be tried for rape.
Katsav's resignation will take effect on Sunday, and reduces Katsav's term by two weeks. Parliamentary speaker Dalia Itzik will continue to serve as acting president until former Prime Minister Shimon Peres takes over the ceremonial post. Peres was elected president on June 13, and will be inaugurated on July 16.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz said earlier: "Katsav is accused of having twice raped a former Tourism Ministry employee while serving as tourism minister, and of forcibly hugging her and touching her leg, which is classified as indecent behavior."
Under the plea bargain, Katsav pleaded guilty to three charges, including sexual harassment of one of his female employees.
The attorney general said earlier he believed the plea bargain was in the public interest. "This agreement minimizes harm to the institution of the presidency. It was important to spare Israel from seeing a president on trial," Haaretz quoted him as saying.
The agreement will also "encourage victims of crimes of a sexual nature to come forward. Katsav will bear personal and public disgrace all his life," Menachem Mazuz added.
