President Katsav of Israel, facing accusations of rape, was fighting last night for his political life after the Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, demanded his resignation.

Responding to an announcement by the Attorney-General that there were sufficient grounds to prosecute the President for rape and sexual harassment, Mr Olmert said: “Under these circumstances there is no doubt that the President cannot continue to fulfil his position and he must leave the President’s residence.”

If Mr Katsav is forced out of office, he will be replaced by a woman — Dalia Itzik, the Speaker of the Knesset.

Mr Olmert’s call came minutes after the President concluded an extraordinary, emotional and at times highly embarrassing press conference during which he blamed the country’s media and police for his predicament.

At his official residence in Jerusalem Mr Katsav harangued journalists for more than an hour, swearing that he would fight to clear his name.

He promised to resign “without delay” if the Attorney-General, Meni Mazuz, decided to proceed with charges against him for rape and sexual harassment, a day after the Justice Ministry said that there was enough evidence against him.

“I have tired of this hunting expedition against me. I yield my immunity so an indictment can be filed, but the law does not demand I resign, and the Attorney-General is not demanding that I resign,” he said.

Hours earlier he had asked a committee of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, to allow him leave of absence, in response to an announcement by the Attorney-General that charges of rape and sexual harassment, abuse of power and obstruction of justice were to be brought.

Mr Katsav has been accused of raping a woman at the Tourism Ministry and of sexually harassing two women at his office. He faces a maximum sentence of 16 years if found guilty.

Mr Katsav is entitled to a hearing to put his side of the story before a final decision on the charges. Yesterday he faced a wave of public and political opinion urging his resignation.

It was unclear if the Knesset would grant his request for leave of absence. Without the parliamentary endorsement he could technically remain in office and therefore immune from prosecution.

The President accused the media of leading a “brainwashing” campaign “against my good name” adding: “For six months my family and I have faced an unprecedented assault — with despicable information sullying my honour.”

Mr Katsav said that he had already been found guilty in a trial by media. “I did not know the person that you, the media, have portrayed — you have hunted me diligently,” he railed at astonished reporters.

In response to a question from a Channel Two television news reporter, the President told him to shut up and accused the station of “spilling my blood”, before claiming that it had cancelled an interview with him because “they prefer Mohamed Dahlan (a senior Palestinian politician)”.

In a menacing tone Mr Katsav addressed the public directly: “When the truth comes out, citizens of Israel, you will be shocked. I wouldn’t dare to risk making such a decisive statement if I didn’t know the truth — which you don’t know.” The women who had accused him of sexual misconduct were “driven by revenge”.

Tzipi Livni, the Foreign Affairs and Justice Minister, called on the President to step down out of respect for the institution of the presidency.

Ms Livni said that while, from a legal standpoint, Mr Katsav was entitled to the presumption of innocence, the nature and gravity of the accusations meant that it would not be fitting for him to fight the charges from the President’s residence.

Isaac Herzog, the Tourism Minister, joined the call, saying: “With all our hopes that the President will be proven innocent, no other solution is possible and I believe the President should resign immediately.”

Ophir Pines-Raz, a senior Labour MP, called on the Knesset House Committee to reject Mr Katsav’s request to approve his suspension. “Katsav doesn’t need temporary suspension, he needs permanent suspension,” he said.“As long as the President isn’t aware of the unbearable damage he’s causing the nation by remaining in office, there’s no alternative but to have the Knesset remove him.”

Zahava Gal-On, from the left-wing Meretz party, began garnering MPs’ support for an impeachment motion, which requires an initial 20 signatures to bring the matter to the Knesset for a vote. The support of 90 out of the Parliament’s 120 MPs would be required.

Shimon Peres — the Deputy Prime Minister, who lost to Mr Katsav in the 2000 presidential campaign — said that he would submit his candidacy again.

Diary of decline

July 2006 Affair becomes public when Mr Katsav complains to Meni Mazuz, the Attorney-General, that he is being blackmailed by woman “A”, who accuses him of rape

August More women accuse the President of sex crimes as Mazuz investigation proceeds

August 22 Police seize computers and documents from Mr Katsav’s home in Jerusalem

September 13 Suspends himself temporarily from swearing-in of Supreme Court president Dorit Beinisch, the first woman Chief Justice. Police have interviewed him five times

October 29 Mr Katsav rejects call from Mr Mazuz to halt public duties while allegations are investigated

November 17 Visits Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican

January 23 Mr Mazuz says he intends to bring rape and sexual harassment charges. Mr Katsav cannot be charged formally until after a hearing to present his defence

January 24 Parliamentary Speaker Dalia Itzik poised to take over as Israel’s first woman President

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